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Mickey 17 will be the best movie of 2025. Now, on my second viewing, it’s abundantly clear just how special this movie is. This is controversial, but to me this is Bong Joon Ho’s best film. Pattinson is unbelievable and it just ticks so many boxes for me. Totally unique and original while also delivering on very relatable and grounded themes. Mickey Barnes is such a great character and despite a relatively long winded opening it never drags and I was invested from the start. I love Mickey 17.

There’s a lot to like about this movie and plenty of thought provoking moments and beautiful visuals, but it’s just so all over the place. The strength is it’s protagonist played by a 10 year old Jurnee Smollett who acts circles around the other more experienced actors surrounding her. Truly one of the great child actor performances I’ve seen. This movie feels like everything ranging from a compelling drama to after school special to pure Oscar bait. Like something between Rashamon and A Color Purple, but captures the magic of neither film.

Seems reviews are mixed on this, but I enjoyed it. It’s obviously playing up its characters to a borderline cartoonish degree, but that’s what’s charming about it. I particularly enjoyed Steve Carell’s character. I could see rewatching it down the line and getting more out of it, but I could also see myself forgetting it forever. If nothing else it was a fun movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

It’s good until it’s great. This is no hyperbole one of the most incredible movies I’ve ever seen visually. So much creativity by De Palma. The story is pretty unique and exciting to follow and I found the 1980 Philadelphia setting exciting and rich with character. Travolta takes what is an interesting premise and along with Nancy Allen really sells why the audience should be invested. Brian De Palma is in my eyes underrated. Rarely is he mentioned in the same breath as Coppola and Spielberg, but he should be. Blow Out has to be in the conversation for the greatest final 30 minutes in film history.

Simultaneously incredibly beautiful animation and off-putting and weird character design. The style is basically all I have to like as the story bored me to tears and neither character had a single distinguishable trait to make them stand out. Just a waste of gorgeous and ambitious animation and a waste of my time.

Gripping and tons of fun. Lady Snowblood made my jaw drop. It’s delightfully silly at times, but not at all in a negative way. Blood and action galore with beautiful color, editing, and music. The only thing I could possibly complain about is what was with that clock? IYKYK if you don’t I envy you.

Dear lord what a bizarrely boring movie. The world created by this movie is very stupid and not much fun despite its whimsical appearance.

Goofy until it’s charming until it comes back around and is just plain boring.

This did not resonate with me at all. I found it to be unexceptional outside of the animation which was pretty even if not overly ambitious.

I have to it this was a slow burn for the first 45 minutes. I was struggling to get through it despite some great strengths, but all of a sudden something clicked and I found myself really engaged in this poetic and beautiful story. The animation style is distinct and I wasn’t crazy about it at first, but there are sequences that just straight up made my jaw drop. Early on I couldn’t wait for it to end, but by the end I was sad it was over.

Incredibly difficult movie to watch that also will not let you look away. This movie is “habit-forming” to say the least. ;)

Tim Robinson is transcending comedy in a role that seems tailor made for him.

Past Lives is even better than I . I think it was easy to take this movie for granted as it came at the end of an absolutely stacked year for film in 2023. It looks beautiful. The story is beautiful. This is a small and contained, but wildly impactful masterpiece.

Lars and the Real Girl takes comion and tolerance to its extreme conclusion and the result is both productive and beautiful.

Yes I watched it again. Yes I still fucking love it.

Some concepts and ideas that maybe at some point could have been something, but in reality adds up to one of the most painfully boring and poorly written superhero movies of the 2010s. Toby Kebbell deserved better.

SHOCKING!!!! This movie is so god damn funny. I had some of my biggest laughs of the year with this. It’s got an earnest hokey-ness that is definitely done with a wink and for me really works. This deserves to be a cult classic. Some of the camerawork, sets, lighting, ect are shockingly good and unique considering this was probably made for $2. How the fuck did they convince this cast to do this movie. This is one of those you either get it or you don’t movies.

I might live to regret the 4 star rating. It could have nailed the ending better, but what is life without a few regrets.

This is the most infantile and sloppy installment of the first 6 Star Wars movies. That said, comparison is the thief of joy and comparing this movie to its predecessors is not exactly fair. Attack of the Clones boasts some of John Williams absolute best and forward thinking work as well as tons of memorable moments that do succeed in forwarding development of key characters in the series. The issue is it’s consistency. It’s both irable and overly ambitious just how many ideas it seems Lucas had for this movie. That’s either by choice or necessity considering he only had one more film to fill in the blanks to get us to Darth Vader. 

This is the movie that earned Hayden Christensen a bad reputation. It’s not that he’s all that terrible it’s just clear they (or he) had something in mind for the character, but it’s missing a natural delivery at times. When he goes dark his performance improves dramatically, something we see more of in the follow up. Portman and the score do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to selling the romance, but I think they mostly succeed. Ewan Mcgregor as Obi Wan Kenobi is both the best performance in every one of these movies and also the best written character.

Ultimately, Attack of the Clones is a fun albeit flawed film. Insanely ambitious and well developed in almost every way except for the most important piece… the script and execution of said script. Effects wise it ranges from impressive to iffy, but for the time I think it doesn’t hold up very badly even though I think it would benefit from the luxury of modern effects we have today. High highs and low lows, but nevertheless an enjoyable journey with lots to love.

I’m not going to lie I was pretty skeptical at first. While at first glance the script and performances play like a faux intellectual theater production eventually something changed. I found myself invested in these characters. I think this movie will leave you asking why are these people friends with each other? Additionally, it can have situations that are really overplayed and dramatic to a somewhat unrealistic extent, but all that is in service to something that speaks really true to adult friendships and also love. Alan Alda is a delight in front and behind the camera.

The Four Seasons has a unique voice that will reward you if you stick with it, much like a good friend in hard times.

May the 4th.

Star Wars lives on despite over-saturation and commercialization simply because it’s just that damn good. One thing taken for granted about this movie (hard to say anything is under appreciated about this franchise atp but its how I feel) is how good it is from a design standpoint. It feels timeless in that way and like nothing at all familiar like it’s truly a galaxy far far away. As it all comes together with John Williams gorgeous score, great sound work, and unparalleled ILM effects you get something really special even without the story. 

As for the story, while yes this movie is probably the most long winded of the 3 it’s so packed full of effective storytelling. Even scenes that kind of don’t feel important in the moment end up kind of helping fill out the characters and it’s a big reason why these characters become so beloved in such a short period of time. The traditional 3 act structure is complimentary to the scale and ambition of the movie and is executed in a way that gives them plenty of time to build this word and these characters.

While it has moments of being a goofy 70’s blockbuster that’s fun and silly it will also tear your heart out and treats serious things seriously and is not afraid to lean into it. I think the best example of this is my favorite scene in the movie. Luke returns to his aunt and uncles farm to find it burned along with their prominently featured corpses as John Williams haunting score plays. Before this Luke is a very different character and this scene does a ton of legwork to transform him in the audiences mind.

As much as this is a part of my childhood and I want to give it 5 stars the truth is every time I watch it it’s never quite as smooth an experience as I . Pacing while I appreciate it can at some times leave a bit to be desired. However, my bigger issue is with the special edition changes. I’ll be the first to it I like some of these changes, but others become so overtly distracting and immersion breaking it’s heartbreaking in an otherwise transformative movie. The execution of the special edition changes are at best wonky.

Star Wars is like The Beatles. There was before and there was after. You may like them you may not, but there is no argument to be made against the impact.

Some of John Hughes best work. One of the best written coming of age movies ever. The Breakfast Club stands as a timeless classic which will always be relevant while also simultaneously representing such a specific moment in time and generation. One of those few movies that comes along that works for almost everyone. Evokes relatability and empathy while also being funny and entertaining from minute 1 to minute 97.

The way it sort of lulls the audience in by leaning into character and genre tropes and then slowly earns the reveal of the layers of humanity underneath each character is great. I think the Allison character is one of the most interesting character arcs ever written. Something about that damn library is captivating.

A breath of fresh air. Thunderbolts* is an oasis in the desert that is post endgame MCU and it could also be a positive sign of things to come. Development, development, development, unlike many of its predecessors this movie not only knows how to introduce (or just as importantly re-introduce) and develop characters, but it excels at it. This movie is daring in ways that others are not. It is confident and it always feels like the story is in capable hands. It is tons of fun, very funny, and really emotionally resonant when it needs to be. At the end of the day, yes it has its marvel superhero genre goofiness, but in a more charming way reminiscent of early avengers rather than the stunted laborious ways of movies like Captain America: Brave New World. 

The cast is fantastic. Everyone deserves credit every single one of them is not just good, but great. However, Florence Pugh needs to be specifically recognized for taking this role and elevating it to such a degree she lifts the whole movie with her. A role, I may add, that one that could perceive in a jaded way as a way to earn a quick buck and sleepwalk through not work too hard and no one will care one way or the other, but that’s not what she did. In fact, this is perhaps her finest performance in years.

The director did a good job. I can’t say the movie is visually wowing, but it has moments and generally has an established visual style and tone that compliments the story well. I want to commend the writers. This is the best marvel script not written by James Gunn in YEARS. This truly feels like comic book storytelling at its finest and on top of that is just a masterclass on how to quickly and efficiently set-up, build investment, and go. Is this the best Marvel movie ever? Probably not quite, but it’s such a return to form and exciting sign of what is possible. It was nice to sit in a theater with a big smile on my face and just enjoy the moment. Haven’t had that with a Marvel movie in quite some time. It truly felt like a comic book come to life on screen and not in a visually gimmicky way truly in the essence of its storytelling. This movie may be a candidate for a higher rating on rewatch, but for now it’s nothing to scoff at 3.5. A truly very good movie.

What a tragic disappointment. I really like Anthony Mackie as Captain America and Harrison Ford was an inspired replacement to play President Ross. Those are two of the only positive things I can say about this. I had tempered expectations. I knew people were dogpiling this movie, but to me if it was just entertaining and a little goofy I’d be ok with that. The good thing is the movie isn’t outright terrible, but it is overwhelmingly mediocre and boring which for a movie like this is almost worse.

The script feels like it was thrown together in an afternoon. There’s a couple good moments. In particular the scene with Bucky and a couple scenes with Ross. The direction doesn’t seem bad. It seems like at some point there was a vision for this movie, but it’s so undercut by this bastardized story. One criticism I do have for the production end is that this is by far the cheapest looking marvel movie I’ve ever seen. The only thing close is maybe certain aspects of Ant Man: Quantimania (a far more effects heavy installment). This looks cheaper than some of the Disney plus shows which is saying a lot. That’s not to say it all looks terrible. Particularly the Hulk stuff mostly works pretty well, but a lot of it just does not capture the epic nature of what these movies are supposed to be.

The biggest sin of this movie is a lack of care in developing characters and arcs. They would rather let a newscaster update you on allegedly important information rather than just show you. When in the first 5 minutes they let a news report basically summarize the plot of The Incredible Hulk I should have known someone somewhere along the line gave up on this movie or had their creativity beat out of them by the system. This is the culmination of many things wrong with the MCU, but again to the credit of the production it is mostly competently made. Just very very boring and basically a vehicle to hit a few specific story beats and manufacture character development for Sam Wilson that unfortunately doesn’t come close to the far superior Disney Plus series.

While it’s not quite as bad in totality as Ant Man: Quantimania, this film stand as a landmark to the failure of Marvel to move on from the safe template filmmaking that has plagued these recent movies. A perfect opportunity to take daring risks and embrace genre is shirked for a movie far more interested in banking on its audience caring about unfinished character arcs from a 16 year old movie and an underdeveloped sidekick turned superhero who has a couple new contrived and underdeveloped sidekicks of his own. Sam Wilson deserved better.

So much promise….wasted. 2 great lead performances, beautiful looking visuals, and an engaging premise are not enough to save what is one of the most empty headed and borderline offensive pieces of exploitative and platitudinous films I’ve seen in a minute. I give the movie credit for its ambition, but for me it’s a miss and it is all an issue of the script. There’s lots to like about this movie, but the core emotional scenes almost all are undercut by what I can only describe as “pure cringe”. Found myself multiple times wanting to engage with the story and being let down to the point my head was in my hands.

This is a movie that has a juvenile understanding of not just the issues it’s speaking on, but of character building and emotional storytelling. The frustration comes from the fact that I think the skeleton of this story and many of the movies parts work really well. Ultimately, Queen and Slim is a good-hearted but flawed shell that ends up feeling like it’s tackling a Walmart brand version of social issues in America rather than anything authentic.

I honestly probably would have given this 2.5 or 3 if the ending wasn’t executed so badly. Over-dramatization is the death of authentic thoughtful drama.

Delightful surprise. Gran Turismo is shockingly heartfelt and filled with lots of ion and investment in its subject. While it’s on paper a pretty generic Cinderella story we’ve seen on film many times before it has an undeniable charm that makes it so easily watchable. The cast is great and really elevates this movie. They could have easily phoned it in and collected the paycheck, but that’s not what happened. I was pleasantly surprised by the direction from Neill Blomkamp. I’m ittedly not his biggest fan, but I can’t deny making a movie like this that doesn’t come across cheesy or hacky takes some good instincts for storytelling. I think this is his best film. 

Just a good wholesome don’t think too hard kick back and enjoy type movie. Not much too it.

Where the first Den of Thieves succeeded the second one stumbles. Weak character motivation, bad pacing, and a far less compelling story make for a tepid sequel to a mediocre first film. It’s not that nothing works. Just that when the puzzle pieces are finally together it feels more like I wasted 2 hours than I had a fun or fulfilling 2 hours. 

I like O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Gerard Butler. That’s about all I can say for this franchise.

Early on it feels like basically every action movie you’ve ever seen, but as the movie goes on it gets a lot more interesting. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s anything that special, but it basically holds your attention for the runtime. Best part of the movie is the actual heist. Outside of that, it ranges from “oh that’s interesting” to mediocre. As for the big twist they throw at you at the end, I mean it’s fine I guess? Like do I really care or buy that reality? Not really, but I guess it’s a cool idea? I guess…

Den of Thieves feels like the type of movie that looks great from clips out of context, but when you sit down to watch it I could pretty much take it or leave it.

Havoc is a shockingly forgettable and nothing-burger of a movie. I had reasonable expectations being this is Tom Hardy and Gareth Evans and while some of it works the totality of this film is just not interesting. That would be alright if the action sequences are good. Movies like Extraction and it’s sequel I felt made up for a lack of unique story with some really great action and camera work. I think that was the blueprint to follow with this movie as well, but while some of it is cool it mostly felt pretty by the book for what you see on these straight to streaming movies now.

All in all one of the most forgettable movies I’ll see this year. Nothing really special and really left me totally uninvested. This feels like a paycheck movie for the cast nothing that special in any performances.

Total and complete ass. These have only gotten worse and the story in this one is the laziest of the bunch. If your going to take the time to make a movie at least don’t make it a waste of time, otherwise just put out more episodes of the show.

Let me get this out of the way. Sinners is fun and very entertaining. If nothing else it’s proof great cinematography and a great score can get you very far on their own. I enjoyed the movie, but I feel obliged to justify why I didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as it seems everyone else did. 

When you take away the flashy production and music Sinners is just about as cheesy and clunky a vampire story as you get. That makes for a fun, but uneven and at times cringy experience. There are a handful of moments in this movie I put my head in my hands out of either frustration or confusion. The movies themes are a little too ambitious and on the nose for it’s own good. I’m also not sure how I feel about some of the things it feels the movie is getting at, but I especially don’t appreciate it from a movie as clumsy as this one. This movie is at its best when it’s focus is family, action, music, and yes vampires. A movie dumber then it thinks it is, but way more fun and enjoyable than it had any right to be considering the entire movie is in the trailer. Seriously, if you’ve even accidentally seen a trailer for this in ing you’ve basically seen the entire movie.

At the end of the day, this vampire action flick delivers the thrills and does enough smoke and mirrors to keep any audience engaged from beginning to end. It’s possible once separated from the unavoidable hype train I’ll enjoy this more on rewatch… then again maybe I’ll like it less. For now, it’s a 3 star fun time worthy of a trip to the theater.

While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Billy Wilder I think it’s safe to say this is his best film and best written film at that. It’s good from beginning to end and finished very strong. While I don’t know if I am enamored with it the way others are, I really enjoyed it still. Holds up as a timeless exploration of the dark side of fame and attention seeking culture which has only expanded in its relevance.

A sad case of a trailer being better than the actual movie. Luckily the movie is still good fun and not super long. Fun premise which pretty much makes the movie. There’s a couple moments that are really dumb, but in a movie like this it’s not that big of a deal. Feels like fast food Ex Machina.

Big disappointment. Not only did this movie fall flat for me, but I actually really disliked it. This is a case of a great cast doing their best with a half baked script. Even then there are scenes where great actors are made to look foolish because despite its great desire to show realistic real world issues the movie is just not believable and even cringeworthy at times. This is the Hollywoodification of a very real issue. Unlike movies like the big short, where it really dives into the roots of issues like this, this movie chooses to focus on the frankly cheap and underdeveloped personal drama of the situation. That would be fine if it was executed well, but it’s really not.

A perfect example of what I’m talking about is a scene at their motel where Andrew Garfield’s character gets recognized by an angry evictee. Firstly, it’s played way over the top and borders on cringeworthy. Secondly, his family’s reaction to this information and him buying them a nice house is a disappointingly shallow and uninteresting take for a movie trying really hard to be a mature and artistic drama. The drama in this is basically equivalent to that of a tv movie, but with 3 of the best actors alive.

Simplistic spectacle of a bygone era. The Ten Commandments is undeniably grand and ambitious. Considering the time it was made the effects hold up fairly well. I think with effects heavy movies what’s more important that looking “realistic” is conveying what is desired in a way that visually blends with the movie. I think this succeeds with that. If you take it any further than face value it’s easy to criticize this movie for things like it’s whitewashed cast, but it’s difficult to hold a movie made in such a time to this standard for me. I don’t begrudge anyone that it bothers, but I’ve seen worse examples of it. The massive almost 4 hour runtime is impossible to knock out in one sitting. Again if this is an issue for people, I get it, but personally I think it’s one of the things that makes this movie special. It’s not just a movie it’s an event. For better or worse it is comparable to an Avengers: Endgame as an event film that really is tough to box in to the standard rules of artistic cinema.

The Ten Commandments is an ambitious, visually impressive, and memorable retelling of the story of Moses. Carried by a first-class performance from Charlton Heston, the film lives as one of the greatest epics ever put to film. 3 hours and 40 minutes is a big ask to sit through, but the movie lands on its feet and leaves you feeling satisfied.

Oh brother…if it was just baseball, For the Love of the Game would have really nailed it. I like literally every scene that revolves around the baseball game and the players even if early on parts of it feel like it’s “playing the hits” of better baseball movies before it. The problem with this movie is it isn’t a baseball movie. This is a love story. Unlike, Bull Durham or The Natural I couldn’t care less about it it was painfully boring and just kept making me beg for more baseball. Again, the big crime here is the baseball stuff is fantastic. Even with Kevin Costner throwing ducks down the middle of the plate and us having to pretend it was a great pitch. I didn’t care, it was entertaining and looked good. A great setup with wasted potential that doesn’t really land the plane in a satisfying way. Not Sam Raimi’s best, but he brought some great stuff to the plate. 

Loved the JK Simmons casting and I think it’s funny the very Scottish Brian Cox keeps ending up in these very Midwest American baseball movies.

The Right Stuff is unfocused and has a knack for being overly hokey and poorly written. Despite that, when it gets it right it really gets it right. It has a great cast and despite macro inconsistency it has moments of greatness. A 3 hour 13 minute runtime that doesn’t feel like a minute over 2 hours is an achievement in itself. The intro, specific character moments, and an engaging visual style make the movie lots of fun to watch, but I could never call this film great. It’s too overstuffed with characters, ideas, and uncommitted tone. This movie tried to be everything and in doing so didn’t do anything exceptionally. 

The Right Stuff has plenty of redeeming qualities that made for an entertaining, but mildly flawed 3 hours.

Mission Impossible set the bar for the franchise to come and the bar was high. Tom Cruise is magnificent as Ethan Hunt a role he was born to play. The story is possibly the best written in the franchise with its twists and turns that on rewatch holds up. If it’s not the best it’s at least one of the more memorable plots. This franchise will become more action centric as it goes on (still plenty to go around in this), but one thing this installment really excelled at was building intrigue and drama. The espionage aspect is probably the best part and this movie has what is still probably the best scene in the franchise and one of the best scenes in film history in the Langley break in. 

If I have any criticism it’s that the finale while definitely memorable became very clunky and sloppy visually. It’s of it’s time and hasn’t aged exceptionally well. It’s one of the weaker set pieces this franchise will have going forward. Despite that it still works and even excels dramatically so while it’s visually unappealing I found it still did it’s job.

Mission Impossible set the standard and lives on as one of the best movies to come from the 1990’s and a brilliant showcase of Brian De Palma’s ability as a director.

Tombstone is rightfully considered a cult classic. It exceeds the faculties of the filmmaker in my opinion with a rousing script and stellar performances and characters. Kurt Russell is a fantastic leading man and Val Kilmer's performance as Doc Holiday is one of those performances that is so good it elevates the entire film. While personally I don’t think Tombstone does enough to differentiate itself from other better westerns, I still think this has strong merit and is ed for a reason.

I can’t help but wonder what this would have been if it had a director with more ambitious vision.

Visually beautiful movie with great camerawork and editing to compliment a heavenly and operatic score. Terrence Malick is one of the most talented visual filmmakers ever. I don’t want to understate the positives of The Tree of Life. I got the sneaking suspicion while watching this on a regular TV at home I was missing out on something. This is definitely a film made for the largest of screens.

Despite its strengths I have to it I had a tough time at points with this movie. I can definitely see why people like it. I think in many ways it is well executed. However, the movie is painfully boring for long long stretches and not just because of the dinosaurs and space it’s deeper than that. I think despite its meditative style and thoughtful narrative the plot is a little hollow. I don’t think it gives you anything to be remotely invested in until over halfway through the movie. It’s the barest of bones for the plot of a movie and yet it’s made with such refined care and mastery it’s a bit of a paradox. This is a Nissan with the engine of a Ferrari.

It’s such a strange discontenting feeling when you finally feel engaged with the film and realize there are only 20 minutes left. I am aware of how negative this review sounds, but I want to note it’s only because of how well crafted this movie really is. I think it accomplishes it’s task of being thoughtful and cinematic art, but didn’t live up to the heights I felt it could have and falls miles short of Malicks best film Days of Heaven.

The Devil’s Backbone gave me more than I bargained for. This moody tragedy was really thematically resonant and very moving. The effects are kind of jarring, but it’s not necessarily bad. I can absolutely see it being a turn off for people, but for me I thought it was effective at executing the desired mood of each scene. The cast is good even the kids and I genuinely could not predict where the plot was heading. I will say the initial hook/mystery is there to put the puzzle pieces together it’s not tough to figure out, but it doesn’t take away from anything or make the rest of the plot predictable. 

I think the script for this film is one of Guillermo Del Toro’s best. The ending of this film is executed to perfection and very poetic. It was great.

Days of Heaven is a masterpiece. It’s obvious from minute 1 to minute 90. Terrence Malick and Nestor Almendros created one of the most visually stunning movies ever put to film. A gorgeous Ennio Morricone score adds to an already well developed early 20th century atmosphere. The editing style feels unconventional and imaginative and just adds to this dream of a movie. This is the type of period piece that is so good you really wouldn’t be able to pinpoint when this was made without checking. 

The story is shockingly well crafted as well and makes for a good investigation of its characters while also boasting plenty of intrigue with its thorny romance plot. I found the story and it’s characters deeply fascinating and it’s so classically told in a perfect way. What I mean by that is I kind of felt while watching “oh this must be an adaptation of a book” because of some of the structural elements and details, but it’s not. This framing is such a huge positive for the movie though because that kind of storytelling feels right at home in this 1910 American setting. 

Days of Heaven is absolutely 100% one of the great American works of filmmaking and something everyone interested in film, whether it’s creating or appreciating, should see.

Visual, writing, and performances this is damn near a masterpiece. It takes pro wrestling seriously which is nice considering the subject matter. As a period piece it couldn’t be more immersive. This story about this incredibly flawed family is heartbreaking, but also beautiful. It speaks for itself.

An undeniably corny movie, but with more heart than you’d expect. I’ve liked The Rookie since I saw it as a young kid who loved baseball and I think what it does so well is like other (ittedly superior) movies like Field of Dreams and The Natural it captures the romanticism of baseball. I really enjoy some of the writing and character quirks I think what works about this is in the details. 

The narrative is multifaceted and I enjoy that. I think something about the structure really tickles my brain. I like that it tells the story of this town, team, guy, and a father son story and basically serves them all well. It can get a little corny and idealistic, but I think it’s a credit to the filmmaker it always feels relatively grounded. I also think the characters are all well developed even down to ing characters and that can mean a lot. 

I think this movie leaning into what could be construed as weaknesses are it’s strengths. Like I said, it can be really hammy and cheesy, but when you put all the puzzle pieces together it is really really charming. This is probably the best I’ve seen Dennis Quaid in anything and Brian Cox is an X factor in what he brings to the movie. The Rookie is a movie that really is significantly better than it should be.

This review may contain spoilers.

This movie is really tough because a lot of it on paper is good. Ivan Reitman does a great job. The editing is fantastic like I can’t stress enough how awesome it is. I even like a lot of the structure of the movie and the characters. Kevin Costner is great. There are 2 huge problems. Jennifer Garners character is written really horribly at times and this whole plot really makes very little sense specifically the trade.

If the Seahawks want Bo Callahan so bad why did they trade the pick in the first place. It can’t be salary cap like they try to say in the movie because never in a million years would you trade a first overall pick because of cap you would just cut a player or trade a different player. Then I get Costners character is making the trade because the owner is forcing his hand, but if he’s making the trade to save his job giving up 3 picks just to take a guy who’s about to fall 15th overall seems like an easy way to lose your job. The logic doesn’t add up and his actions are not justified by the movie. The only thing warranting these decisions is heightened and convenient drama which I’ll it was fun to watch at times, but stretches patience thin as they continue to go down the rabbit hole of backtracking on this deal which also makes no sense from the Seahawks perspective.

In the end, Draft Day is a fun but flawed movie. It gives most of the things you want out of a sports movie, but struggles as a narrative by wading in deeper waters than it bargained for.

Very impressed with One of Them Days. While it doesn’t exactly feel totally original, it does enough to separate itself from similar movies. Keke Palmer and SZA are fantastic and have great chemistry. They elevate the already pretty funny writing. Kat Williams in very small screen time steals the show. I give the movie credit for being earnest and having a heart as well. It’s easy for comedies to lean away from this, but when it’s done well it elevates a movie to another level. There aren’t many mid budget comedies anymore so I’m glad that this not only worked, but excelled in its lane.

The Departed is not Scorsese's best. I don’t know that it’s even his best of the 21st century, but to me what it stands out as is his most commercial and broadly appealing film other than maybe The Wolf of Wall Street. However, I think this is a better film than that one. The Departed borrows a lot from Infernal Affairs, but it also brings an extra layer of depth to the themes and characters of the film that make it a really special movie.

The cast really elevates this story from good to great. It’s impossible to even call them out specifically because literally everyone in this movie has a nearly career best performance. The story is great in that it’s unpredictable and never feels forced. It holds tension and mostly rolls smoothly tying up all its character arcs and themes nicely, but I don’t think it’s perfect. I think certain moments feel like they’re prioritizing drama over coherence. It will occasionally throw curveballs at you and they sometimes feel overly plot convenient (or purposely inconvenient). These are not all inherently bad things, but a matter of taste.

I think what’s great about it is how it manages to stay relevant even today. There are memorable scenes from beginning to end. Great dialogue and characters take it a step further. The Departed will live on as one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies of this later portion of his career.

The Player is Tim Robbins at his very best. The satirical and paranoia driven quasi-thriller is both dramatic and tons of fun. It’s shot really well and there are a few great memorable sequences specifically the long take in the beginning and the scene in the police station. Vincent D’Onofrio is also great in a small role. I think what makes The Player special is Altman’s distinct style and direction. It’s a movie that feels somehow both extremely dark and whimsically fun.

The Green Knight boasts spectacular visuals, a fittingly poetic and illusory narrative, and great performances from an all star cast. It’s hypnotic with its dawdling pace and dream-like editing. It will have you questioning what is literal and what is metaphor or illusion. It spins a thought provoking narrative that is profound and unflappable.

Dev Patel at this point has had his fill of iconic performances, but for my money none as great as this. Gawain could be considered a loser, but he could also be considered an everyman. Being unexceptional is more common than not and because of this I think his arc is really meaningful. He is painfully aware of his own shortcomings and over the course of the movie you can see him go from a ne'er-do-well to a real actual person. The arc is executed to perfection. 

The ing characters are great and they are all worth mentioning, but Sean Harris, Ralph Ineson, and Sarita Choudhury are all particularly good. Sean Harris as King Arthur is one of the most interesting takes on the myth I’ve ever seen. He is fascinatingly vulnerable and his characterization works as a great analog to Gawain. 

This is one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen. Camerawork, editing, sets, costumes, almost every shot is breathtaking. The score compliments the dreamy and sometimes gloomy aura of The Green Knight. The ending is perfect. At worst it is a slow burn, but at best it is meditative and thought provoking. I believe The Green Knight is a masterpiece and one of the great films of the 21st century.

Today I watched Beasts of No Nation. I watched this movie when it came out in October of 2015. I was 17 years old and it left a lasting impact on me. It was a movie I purposely avoided until now because of how much it affected me. Now, just short of 10 years later I decided to revisit this film to see if it’s as powerful as I .

Agu, the main character, is at the start a regular kid of Africa. He is a troublemaker with what you could consider questionable instincts, but it’s mostly innocent. It’s clear he’s a regular kid who just needs guidance and time. Time is something he doesn’t have. This story is a tragedy that really shows how war can corrupt, not just the innocence of children, but everyone.

Agu finds himself looking to fill the void war has left in his life. Specifically with Idris Elba’s character the manipulative and ambitious Commandant. This character is as deeply evil as he is complex and this role, to me, has ended up being the signature role of Idris Elba’s career. His filmography lives in infamy a little bit. There is some good stuff, but an insurmountable amount of bad. Despite that, no one can ever take this performance away from him. This is one of the signature performances of the 21st century to me. The character serves as Agu’s distorted and disturbed father figure stand-in who corrupts and in many ways betrays Agu. He also serves as a good warning for the dangers of following weak and narcissistic demagogues. Putting faith in leaders who’s only aim is to use you.

This is a story of war, trauma, coping, corruption, and innocence. Made in the same vein as a movie like Empire of the Sun. Beasts of No Nation serves as a really strong spiritual successor and in many ways sures that movie. The film is thematically resonant and really executed character arcs to perfection. This is truly a masterclass of visual filmmaking, writing, and adeptly conveying themes. Abraham Attah gave a spectacular performance that now almost 10 years later makes me question why no one is calling his agent. One of the great forgotten movies of the past 2 decades, Beasts of No Nation is harrowing, but ultimately moving film that has and will haunt me for many years.

One of the great pieces of documentary filmmaking. It’s more than a history lesson it truly tells a story not just about NASA or those astronauts, but of humanity.

The biggest takeaway from this movie and the number 1 reason it’s so memorable is Brian Eno’s masterpiece of a score. This is truly one of the greatest scores ever and paired with the brilliant visuals it creates an viewing experience that’s truly singular and impossible to replicate.

Re-watched once again to refresh my memory before I talk about this movie on a podcast. 

Full of magic and whimsy Your Name is part silly slice of life body swap, part visually stunning supernatural mystery, and part really moving romance about love transcending time and space. Every time I watch it I forget how infectious it’s sentimental attitude is. You just can’t say enough about how visually dynamic and beautiful the animation is. The music is also great. I was very skeptical the first time I watched it. I thought there is no way I was the target audience for this movie. The truth is this movie transcends the idea of a “target audience” this movie is for everyone.

You can hear me talk about it with my friends more chaotically on the pod. I’ll edit the link here when the pod drops in the meantime here’s what we’ve done so far:

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOzv7CCIVbRHUAxHUkbvLANtz6TTkqAQY&si=iSRAsJxkeDkWeuRf

Video link:
youtu.be/LZDFBUxxmDs

What I like
My most comprehensive list of what I’ve seen in 2025. Not including everything, but things I found notable or worth watching. Not including anything that I didn’t like.

• Mickey 17
• Black Bag
• Friendship
• Thunderbolts*
• Presence
• One of Them Days
• Sinners
• Companion

My rankings of what I saw

• Oppenheimer
• The Holdovers
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Past Lives
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• Godzilla Minus One
• American Fiction
• The Iron Claw
• A Thousand and One
• The Boy and the Heron

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My Rankings based on what I saw

• Blade Runner 2049
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• Logan
• Dunkirk
• I, Tonya
• First Reformed
• The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
• John Wick: Chapter 2
• Molly's Game
• Wind River

...plus 35 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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

My rankings of what I saw.

• Uncut Gems
• The Lighthouse
• Midsommar
• Knives Out
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Waves
• Parasite
• Jojo Rabbit
• Marriage Story
• John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My rankings of what I saw

• 50/50
• Moneyball
• Drive
• Rango
• Shame
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• The Raid
• From Up on Poppy Hill
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Warrior

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

What I liked

My most comprehensive list of what I’ve seen in 2024. Not including everything I saw, but things I found notable or worth watching. Not including anything that I didn’t like.

1. Conclave
2. Anora
3. Challengers
4. The Brutalist
5. Dune: Part Two
6. The Count of Monte Cristo
7. The Promised Land
8. Nosferatu
9. A Different Man
10. Kneecap

...plus 70 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My rankings of what I saw

• The Green Knight
• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Dune
• Drive My Car
• The Suicide Squad
• tick, tick... BOOM!
• The Last Duel
• CODA
• After Yang
• Lamb

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

My rankings of what I saw

• Manchester by the Sea
• Your Name.
• Arrival
• Hell or High Water
• La La Land
• The Nice Guys
• Raw
• Captain America: Civil War
• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Deepwater Horizon

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Criteria is the comedy has to be my favorite part of the movie. Some stuff is funny, but the focus is elsewhere. Ranking is based on my enjoyment of the humor not the movie

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Airplane!
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
• Home Alone
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• 21 Jump Street
• Seven Psychopaths
• Hot Fuzz
• The Big Lebowski

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

Movies that changed my brain chemistry for the worse. (Gave me depression)

• Hell Ride
• Brave New World
• Begotten
• Donnie Darko
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
• Green Book
• MaXXXine
• The Boondock Saints
• Chronicle
• Exodus: Gods and Kings

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

My rankings of what I saw

• The Batman
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Nope
• The Northman
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
• Talk to Me
• Vengeance

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

My rankings based on what I saw

• Burning
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
• Mission: Impossible – Fallout
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Under the Silver Lake
• BlacKkKlansman
• Prospect
• Black Panther
• After Everything
• A Star Is Born

...plus 27 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My favorite Denzel Washington performances

1. Fences
2. Training Day
3. Glory
4. He Got Game
5. the Titans
6. Malcolm X
7. The Hurricane
8. Gladiator II
9. Mississippi Masala
10. Inside Man

...plus 9 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My rankings of what I saw.

• Tenet
• Sound of Metal
• I'm Thinking of Ending Things
• Another Round
• The Night House
• The Trial of the Chicago 7
• Soul
• Extraction
• The Midnight Sky
• Da 5 Bloods

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

My rankings of what I saw

• Her
• 12 Years a Slave
• Prisoners
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• About Time
• Short Term 12
• Fruitvale Station
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• Lone Survivor
• Dallas Buyers Club

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

• The Holdovers

  You will like this 

• The Iron Claw

  Sad but really really good you won’t regret watching. True story and it’s about wrestlers but it’s not about wrestling so don’t let that turn you off.

• Sing Sing
• Paths of Glory

  One of the best

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

  Optimistic and nice movie 

• Leave No Trace

  Drama

• Manchester by the Sea

  Sad but one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

• The Promised Land

  Historical drama with subtitles and the villain is really disturbed but it’s really good

• Civil War

  Worth a watch and fairly new 

• Fantastic Mr. Fox

  One of the coolest animated movies ever made

...plus 60 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My favorite performances by John Turturro

1. Barton Fink
2. The Batman
3. Quiz Show
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Do the Right Thing
6. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. Rounders
8. He Got Game

My favorite performances by Willem Dafoe

1. The Lighthouse
2. Platoon
3. At Eternity's Gate
4. Spider-Man
5. Mississippi Burning
6. Finding Nemo
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Poor Things
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel
10. The Northman

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

In no order

• Alien
• The Godfather
• Taxi Driver
• The Shining
• Oppenheimer
• Whiplash
• Inglourious Basterds
• Her
• The Social Network
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

...plus 190 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Nolan movies ranked

1. Oppenheimer
2. Interstellar
3. Inception
4. The Dark Knight
5. Dunkirk
6. Memento
7. Batman Begins
8. Tenet
9. The Prestige
10. The Dark Knight Rises

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

My rankings of what I saw

• Ex Machina
• Steve Jobs
• The Witch
• Sicario
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Beasts of No Nation
• The Revenant
• Mississippi Grind
• The Hateful Eight
• The End of the Tour

...plus 23 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My rankings of what I saw

• Interstellar
• Whiplash
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• John Wick
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Nightcrawler
• Gone Girl
• Chef
• The Drop
• Frank

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My rankings of what I saw

• Seven Psychopaths
• 21 Jump Street
• The Hunt
• Django Unchained
• Mud
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Argo
• The Avengers
• Zero Dark Thirty
• The Master

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

My rankings of what I saw

• Inception
• The Social Network
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• Incendies
• Beginners
• The Other Guys
• Shutter Island
• Kick-Ass
• Super
• Exit Through the Gift Shop

...plus 12 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.