Movie Record 2022 Edition - The Bear and Badger

ShabbyMcCrabby

ShabbyMcCrabby wrote:

poprock wrote:

I actually ended up using Vere’s thread all through 2019, so let’s do it again.

Verecocha wrote:

Gonna record ALLLLLL the movies I watch here this year …

I liked the short reviews/comments last year. Vere’s rule was a dozen words or less, but I broke that quite often. Some people like to leave scores, some don’t. It’s all good. You do you. What did really work was making a new post every time you watch a movie, then copy/pasting that into your master list at the start of the thread. I’m gonna do that again. Reading the list back at the end of the year was a nice thing.

Here we are again. I enjoyed doing this last year as it helped me remember all of the things I had watched and what I liked.
I still can't quite believe some of the stuff I watched was actually at the start of last year.

Anyway, we all know the drill by now.

Here's to watching all those releases that were supposed to come out last year!

As we wrap up our watchlists of 2021 here's our new thread for all the awesome films that will come out in 2022.

It's been great going back to the cinema in the last couple of months and can't wait for more trips this year.

Come at me Moonfall!

ShabbyMcCrabby

1. TBA
An actual TBA. I got to watch an early but nearly done cut of a new film coming this year. A story about telling stories. I really liked it, a lot of cool visuals and ideas. Looking forward to seeing the finished product when it comes out and hearing what you peeps think.
[8]

2. Trouble Every Day
Quieter than I was expecting but also as French as I was expecting. Didn't really engage with it though and I'm not sure what points were trying to be made.
[4]

3. Human Centipede 2
Stupid brain tickle made me eventually watch it. I knew what it would be and that is the same as any of these sorts of movies which is completely lacking in any sort of merit or worth. Sure it makes you go 'ew gross' but to actually have any real impact there needs to be character and story and stakes. Instead it's just a poorly made nothing where you don't even remember the stuff it wants you to remember.
[0]

4. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Meant as a palette cleanser this made me wonder if the filmmakers have heard of pacing or flow. Because there is no point at which this is exciting or intriguing. It's just a flat-line nostalgia sludge with nothing new to show you. 1 point for Paul Rudd and 1 point for the main girl, she was good.
[2]

5. REC
Never watched the sequels so I'm here at the start again. Still great. The peaking, blown out sound design is excellent and intense throughout. Camera shakes a bit too much at times when it doesn't have to though.
[8]

6. REC 2
Dang that was excellent! So many cool setpieces throughout and really well executed. Worked well watching it straight after the first too.
[8]

7. Incendes
Quite an excellent film and an excellently made film but I'm not sure I gelled with one of the main story beats though and I think it sullied it somewhat for me. But I guess it was trying to make a point with it too.
[8]

8. Werewolves Within
Weird seeing the Ubisoft logo at the start of a film. Even with the typical rambling American comedy style and too many cheap jumps it was still pretty entertaining. Didn't like one of the main story beats in this either, kind of lazy
[5]

9. Last Night in Soho
At first I thought the terrible, unsubtle writing was on purpose and would lead to something but no it was just bad writing. Also, a couple of creepy moments but a lot that seemed like they were meant to be but they really weren't... Disappointing.
[3]

10. Caveat
A solidly tense and creepy indie. Over-does it in a few areas like music I think but considering it made me be sure my bedroom door was closed tonight I think it got under my skin. Reminded me of Possum a little, especially the aesthetic.
[7]

11. Scream
I quite enjoyed this. It was what I expected it would be with some nicely up-to-date meta stuff. My attention waned a little but it was fun to watch a classic slasher.
[6]

12. The Last Duel
Say one thing about Ridders, the man can put together a sword fight. I enjoyed this quite a lot, feels like a film from a different era. Can't imagine many directors getting a big budget for something like this.
[8]

13. Cuties
What an incredible, terrifying and uncomfortable film. Of course, I only really knew it from the controversy but I shouldn't have been surprised it was much much more than that. The performances feel so naturalistic and I wasn't expecting the Senegalese elements which also felt very real. Would work as a companion piece to both Eighth Grade and His House.
[9]

14. Fear Street '94
Took me three watch sessions to get through this. It's obviously competently made and I'll probably slowly watch the others but something about it just didn't really grab me. Perhaps it's the grab-bag nature of a lot of the parts in trying to pay homage to the time period. Not sure.

15. Wrong Turn 2021
Really disappointed with this in the end because it starts at about an 8 and ended at about a 3 for me (although the final shot helped with me feeling better about it by the credits). It's a shame too because it has a great setup and some excellently executed violence (fantastic falling throughout) but then it fumbles the execution of a lot of it's elements and the acting is a bit too much at times. I'd say it's worth watching if you're into this kind of thing.
[8 - 3]

16. Speed Racer
I mean it's a nailed on, god-danged mutha fuckin filmmaking masterpiece is what it is.
[10]

17. The Beta Test
Jim Cummings finishes his Fragile Male Ego trilogy in classy fashion. I'll need to read about it some more and think some more to pick it apart. He's excellent at playing that role but I hope he heads in a different direction for his next thing
[8]

18. Belle
Anime Beauty and the Beast but not really because that's just one of too many storylines that's never properly fleshed out or executed well. Scattered and messy. Good songs, not enough of them.
[3]

19. Resolution
Definitely worth rewatching. Such a well made low budget film. Makes me want to re-watch The Battery as well. Also the Bluray has a full length commentary with the dog from the film, very funny.
[9]

20. Moonfall
All you need is some cool and exciting action setpieces and this never really delivered. Even the characters in the scenes seemed unimpressed when the sky was falling down. A shame really as the concept is so silly and fun.
[3]

21. Pete's Dragon
In a genre that is often filled with saccharine sentiment this manages to inject a fairly straightforward and formulaic story with a lot of genuine heart.
[7]

22. Belfast
It doesn't stray far out of the expected lanes for this kind of movie but it's still a very good one. The main kid is great and you can feel some elements were pulled straight from memory in the way they were shot.
[8]

23. Avatar
Still very watchable and, apart from some compositing, the effects still hold up. It's all in the little effects and details and lighting. Very interested to see if the sequels are worth anything.
[7]

24. Ron's Gone Wrong
If Mitchell's v Machines didn't exist this might hold up better but so many elements here are in there and done better. You can tell this has less budget and also goes for too long. Still funny at times.
[4]

25. The Batman
Great idea to make a crime thriller with Batman as the lead instead of making a typical Batman movie. There's better crime thrillers out there but this looks great and sounds great and RPats is great.
[7]

26. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
What an absolute trashfire of a film. You can tell from the outset it had a trouble and chopped up production just in how characters and story and themes are all chopped and changed and the flow is completely fucked up throughout. Complete waste of time. 1 point for some well made practical effects that were poorly shot.
[1]

27. Jackass Forever
I mean people getting hit in the nuts never gets old. Some sections weren't great but the funny stuff was really funny. Must have hurt doing some of this stuff at their age.
[6]

28. Drive My Car
A gentle and beautiful film on love and loss and other things besides. It's long and doesn't mind taking it's time but I didn't mind. I didn't really want it to end.
[9]

29. Happy Gilmore
Still great even when you know the whole thing. Especially sat watched with a group of mates. Best thing Sandler ever did? Probably.
[8]

30. Turning Red
I had a lot of fun with this. Has a much more animated energy than most Pixar. Also interesting to see they've pinched from Sony and their 2D effects. Such a shame it's not in cinemas though. Disney need to do better.
[7]

31. Fresh
Aw man, it started so well (love seeing the Searchlight intro again) but it was just so haphazard once it got more horror-y. It was also too long.
[4]

32. Come True
I love that Shudder is another avenue for horror films to be made but dang I feel this should have been a bigger release. Would have been amazing on a cinema screen. Amazing CG work. The writing was a bit on the nose at times though.
[8 with the writing, 9 for everything else]

33. Seaspiracy
Guy who loves oceans but, apparently, never watched The Cove digs into the fishing industry. Even though it's very one-sided it really does paint a fire and sad picture. I think deep down we know how harmful fishing practices are and if this is even partially true then we're still fucked
[7]

34. X
This was fun. Was good to see it with an audience as I think that was the intended environment. Maybe a bit too slow to get to the money shots but it had a lot of fun with all the things it was doing.
[7]

35. Dinner in America
I genuinely hated this movie at first and then by the end it made me cry. Fuck you DS. Would an extra point if it was 10 minutes shorter at the start.
[8]

36. House of the Devil
I think the build up is better than the payoff but it's quite the build up! He's good at the tension that Ti West
[8]

37. Saint Maud
Got to see this in a cinema and show some friends who hadn't seen it. Definitely held up to repeated viewing. Amazing film.
[9]

38. Dune
Glad I got the 4k Blu-ray and very glad I have a sub although my neighbours probably aren't. Stood up to a rewatch. Nice to hear that Zimmer can make a non-working repeat soundtrack if he actually cares, really noticeable when it goes all Batman for a brief moment but the rest is fantastic
[8]

39. The Tinder Swindler
I'm really not a fan of docs where someone tells their story as it adds an extra editorial layer to something that already has that in that in that it was made. It's an interesting story though and held my interest throughout
[5]

40. Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore
Yeah yeah JK is the devil and these movies are average at best but usually the production design is nice enough but this is definitely one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It's a Beasts movie that start with two animals being killed, one of them a baby. What the fuck. Don't even care about spoilers on that because it's just a dispicable story choice. The film looks like desaturated mud, none of it is explained or set-up so things just happen 'just because', and the tone is all over the fucking place. I nearly walked out and definitely would have if the gf wasn't there. Why couldn't they just tell a light-hearted fantasy adventure story about the cool magical animals?
[0]

41. Another Round
I needed to cleanse my mind of the last film so I decided to watch a good Mads movie. Not sure if I was still affected by Dumbledore but I didn't love this as much as some. Enjoyed it but I never truly got into it or got what the message off the film was meant to be.
[6]

42. The Northman
Eggers once again shows his skill in crafting a world and shooting it well. Very physical and gutteral feeling although it did tend to keep me at arm's length mentally.
[8]

43. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
Did I just see the greatest movie ever made? What a fucking achievement in filmmaking.
[10. 11. 15. Just all the fucking numbers. Just give it all of them]

44. Apollo 10 1/2
Netflix sneaks out the latest movie by Richard Linklater. A lovely 60s nostalgia trip to bring a kid during the time of the space race. Nice way to spend an evening.
[8]

45. Alien -Extended
Double feature at the cinema. Have to do this every now and then. Still a masterpiece. Extended version doesn't ruin it as much as with Aliens. Still should stick to the original cut.

46. Aliens - Super Extended
Really don't think I've ever watched this one with the colony working and the turrets and Ripley's daughter. Must have been the first real cut off the film. Amazing how so much can be cut out and not effect the main themes and actually make for a much much better film. This has all that expert pacing sucked out of it

47. The Sadness
Not well directed enough to be a good zombie film, not gory enough to be an extreme film, not fun enough to be a horror comedy thrill ride. Just average all the way through.
[2]

48. Ultrasound
Very solid mind bender that makes you really think about it and try and piece it together afterwards. Enjoyed this.
[7]

49. The Innocents
Tense, sometimes disturbing and really rather excellent. Fantastic kids actors too. Maybe a bit long.
[8]

50. Dreams on Fire
Lady moves from the countryside to Tokyo to be a dancer. Story is very slapdash and too meandering to be a good film but the dancing is great and I loved spending time in the Tokyo nightlife.
[5]

51. All My Friend's Hate Me
Gaslighting: The Movie. Or is it? I'm not sure. Quite well done really. Funny and uncomfortable in equal measure.
[7]

52. Dr Strange: Multiverse Madness
Hard to watch a multiverse movie after Everything Everywhere as nothing will compare to that. This was a bit scrappy at times but enjoyable enough. I thought it would be bolder.
[6]

53. Wild Indian
A film about generational trauma. I think. Was fairly good but not great. Was interesting to watch a film in a setting that isn't seen often.
[6]

54. Tale of Two Sisters
I'm guessing this landed better when it first came out and before The Sixth Sense copies drove this concept into the ground. I found it to be dull and obvious and the scares to be bland and cheap. Sorry not sorry.
[3]

55. The Sacrament
Had a lot of fun with this found footage cult movie movie from Ti West. I liked the central conceit and apart from some loose execution of the found footage side it was quite effective throughout.
[7]

56. Mortal Kombat
I had a lot of fun watching this with my mates. Exactly what it needed to be. Effects were great, references and included moves were great, Kano added a point on his own.
[7]

57. Creep
Fun little found footage thing. I enjoy these later lifespan ones as they tend to do fun stuff with the style.
[6]

58. The Humans
Not sure what to say about this other than that it is captivating. Considering the filmmaking choices I would be interested to see what the play looked like.
[9]

59. Morbius
Ate some junk food and watched a junk movie. It's not that bad really. Just recalls a time when blockbuster screenwriters cared little for logic or interesting dialogue. Leto was actually quite good.
[4]

60. Downfall: Boeing doco
Pretty great doco on the absolutely criminal dodgy shit that Boeing did that caused the two crashed of the 737-MAX and killed all those people. I already knew the reasons and a chunk of the story but it was still an interesting watch.
[8]

61. The Lost City
Even though there's some funny moments in this I didn't really like it on the whole largely because it suffers from all of the current Hollywood criminal mistakes. I think 50% of the dialogue is ADR add-on that suggests an unfinished script, there's copious amount of terrible green screen that completely undermines the beautiful locations they filmed in at times. And the majority of the 'comedy' has just constant ad-lib chatter from the characters. It could have been a fun throwback film but it would have needed a complete script and a trust in writing actual jokes.
[3]

62. Petit Maman
A beautiful little film about a young girl finding out more about why her mother is the person she is. Really lovely thing.
[8]

63. Spoorlos (The Vanishing)
A solid little thriller that tells it's story in a different way than many of these sorts of things. Although I was fully gripped throughout it did stay with me afterwards.
[7]

64. The Worst Person in the World
I think this story would be quite formulaic if it wasn't for the performances and the character work. It elevated it for me but I also couldn't help but feel I knew where it was going.
[7]

65. The Hidden
Is this a hidden gem or was I just out of the loop? Great car chases, very blood squibby action and Kyle MacLachlan. A lot of fun.
[7]

66. Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers
Even though Disney owns everything I think the legal team must have worked extra hard on this for all these characters. Just a shame the script isn't that great. With a better told story and writing this could have been the new Roger Rabbit.
[6]

67. Kimi
A solid, Hitchcock style thriller in the vein of Rear Window except with added Alexa. Was entertaining although it didn't really feel like it did anything to make it stick in the memory.
[6]

68. Cast Away
A classic. I was surprised at how much I got drawn into it again. Not many directors could pull it off I think and zemekis shows how good he can be throughout. The plane crash is a master class in thrilling action set piece filmmaking.
[8]

69. Kajillionaire
Worth a go if you can dig the indie weirdness side of it. About a family of con artists who aren't a very good family. Has Richard Jenkins in it so that has to stand for something.
[7]

70. The Way Back
As easy as a film like this is to watch it's also fairly offensive in how easy it is for the characters to improve. Mr alcoholic just decides to stop drinking. Quiet kid finds his voice with a little encouragement etc
[4]

71. Nitram
Hard to know how to feel about this one. Is it exploitative? Or is it trying to make a point about gun violence that is still pertinent today? It's a Damaged People but it's also well acted.
[7]

72. The Little Things
I think this was a good script. Or story at least. Terrible film though. Editing is shit, there's no thrill and there's no good execution of any reveals or big story moments. Must have read well to get that cast though.
[3]

73. The Black Phone
Mmmmmmmeeeeeh. Not scary enough as a horror film, not thrilling enough to be a thriller. A shame really as it could have been alright with a bit more something. Maybe.
[4]

74. Downhill (USA)
Didn't have the original on the plane so I watched this. I quite like it. More of a drama than a comedy but was a good watch.
[6]

75. The Many Saints of Newark
I'm guessing Chase just wanted to be in this world again because there's no real reason this needs to exist but I really enjoyed it. I think if I remembered all of the show the winks and nods might have been too much but I think I missed a lot. Gandolfini's son nailed young Tony, I wish he was in it more.
[8]

76. The Outfit
A neat little mob thriller set in one location. I enjoyed this even though I didn't find it especially gripping
[7]

77. Nightmare Alley
I find I don't really connect with Del Toro's newer films. Felt soulless and a bit boring. Also so very very white.
[4]

78. Burn After Reading
Man this film is great. I've seen it before but it was just as fun watching it again.
[9]

79. The Alpinist
If you've watched and enjoyed Free Solo or The Dawn Wall I very much recommend this. Another interesting person and some amazing and terrifying footage.
Don't think it needs a rating.

80. Jurassic World Dominion
I enjoyed this more than I probably should have but also a bit less as it went on. Some cool visuals and set pieces early on that then descended into the usual action for action sake and nothing more.
[6]

81. Lightyear
Nice to see a Pixar on the big screen again but this was a bit too bland and by the numbers for me. With some original ideas and less blunt force storytelling and it could have been okay. Andy must have been a dull child if this was his favourite movie.
[5]

82. Everything Everywhere All At Once again
I'd say it loses a little something when you know what's coming and so there isn't quite as much surprise and delight. As well as not seeing it with a big crowd that's also on that ride with you creating an amazing atmosphere. But it's still heaps of fun and the emotional core is what rewards the rewatch because it was just as effective second time around and the overall message will always be an important one for modern life.
[9]

83. Thor: Love and Thunder
It's a scrappy thing it is. A bit too scrappy ultimately which is a shame as there's some great running gags and some really cool visuals but - like a fair bit of new Marvel stuff - the storytelling is clunky.
[5]

84. Top Gun
Only watched this once before and I'd forgotten how watchable it is. Snappy pace, fun action, steamy and sweaty homo-erotic overtones. Was great.
[8]

85. Men
Wasn't wholly engaged through the entirety of it and I think I'm a bit too slow to pick up all the - not so subtle - sub and surface texts but I did like that it went there when it wanted to get there. Been recommended a podcast called The Trap to learn up on abusive relationships.
[7]

86. Midsommar - Director's Cut
Paired with Men this was a double feature of shit men at the cinema. Never seen the DC but I thought it was really good. The fact that I couldn't really tell what was added apart from one bit showed how much that stuff was meant to be there. The added sequence also gave more depth to a bit at the end too which was cool. I think it's still a bit too slow in the not good way for me to really love it but I do really appreciate it.
[7]

87. Top Gun: Maverick
What an absolute feat of filmmaking this is. It's like they took the bones of the original and made a better movie in every way. Better characterisation, better acting, better story and better action. Was a proper sight on the IMAX screen. Proper cinema blockbuster and so refreshing after all the CGI fuckfests of recent years. Has me even more excited for the next Mission Impossible.
[9]

88. Dash Cam
I really enjoyed this. Normally I hate obnoxious characters but she played it great and I found her to be over-the-top enough to be funny. Some great set-pieces and effects and I loved where it ended up. Good fun.
[8]

89. Ambulance
I think Zack Snyder and Michael Bay compete to be the worst big budget Hollywood director currently working. This was fucking shit and just all the worst of Bay all the time. Shouting and sweating for no reason, men being Men, action that makes no sense and is impossible to follow and is not exciting at all, terrible ADR throughout, "humour", no story flow, and distracting camera moves that add nothing to the scene. Utter garbage. One point for Gyllenhaal.
[1]

90. Prey
Got free tickets to a preview event. Cool to see this in a cinema instead of streaming except I don't think it was really mastered for theatre viewing, was a bit dim. But it was an okay film. I think I expected it to commit to being a period film more than it did both in direction and script. Didn't need to go full Robert Eggers but maybe semi-Eggers. It also falls into that category of nostalgia film that I don't buy, I like Predator but I don't think the predator is the COOLEST and I think this movie assumes you do which affects the kind of movie it is. Not terrible but nothing special.
[5]

91. MIFF - Triangle of Sadness
This is definitely a film festival film. I liked what it was doing in it's representation of class and stuff but then it went for 2.5 hours and you need to have a good reason to go for 2.5 hours
[4]

92. NT Live - Prima Facie
Quite the impressive piece of work. Can't imagine how Jodie Comer managed to do this show multiple times a week. It's not an easy watch at times and I think it's maybe a little too blunt in the messaging but definitely worth seeing.
[8]

93. MIFF - Crimes of the Future
A very familiar set of themes from Cronenberg but not told as deftly as things like Crash or Videodrome meaning it doesn't feel as essential. I think his son is doing more interesting things in this space. Also it suffers from that covid production emptiness where it's noticeable. Still an enjoyable watch though and some fun performances.
[6]

94. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Watched in preparation for seeing his new film at MIFF next week and dang if this isn't a masterful piece of work. Just a stunning sense of place and a very well told story that is disappointingly still relevant today. I hope his new one gets close to the quality of this.
[10]

95. MIFF - Emily the Criminal
A watchable indie drama with a good central performance from Plaza. Doesn't really do anything to elevate it above similar films though even though the story is entertaining enough
[6]

96. The Gray Man
Imagine making a film for Chads where there's jokes about small hands and all the action people are tough manly men men who smash things when they're angry except for the one token hot lady. Imagine making a globe trotting spy action film where the leads never leave a green screen studio so everything past the foreground is blurry and looks like trash to hide the CG backgrounds. Imagine filling all your fights and action sequences with CG smoke elements that distract your eyes throughout and look like shit and make you wonder if they got a bulk deal on that plug-in. Imagine creating the least exciting or dangerous feeling plane crash in all of cinema history. Imagine making a spy film where nothing interesting happens in the plot at all. Imagine suggesting by the end that the film was about the relationship between the lead and the kidnapped girl but instead of structuring the film around this you instead dump it in the most boring and emotionless flashback ever and start your film with a terrible deepfake deaged Billy Bob.
One point for Gosling's funny groans when he got hurt.
[1]

97. Lost in Translation
Yep, still perfect. Maybe a little bit racist and culturally insensitive in a way that goes beyond the characters being that way but film on the whole still is a beautiful little thing
[10]

98. Project A
I forgot how bare the plot can be in some of these Jackie Chan films and how much screen time that element can take up but the fights and stunts still make it fun. Need to rewatch Police Story soon.
[6]

99. NOPE
Ugh, Jordan Peele frustrates me so much. Like his previous films there's some really cool ideas in this and some sequences that are legit 10/10 and probably some of the best things he's put to screen but there's also just something about the bulk of the rest of it that just doesn't work for me and I lose interest. I can't even really tell what it is. Whether it's in the writing or the editing or what but it just means the film on the whole doesn't land for me. Genuinely thought it was going to be a masterpiece after the first 15 mins or so. Maybe next time.
[6]

100. MIFF - Speak No Evil
A 'horror' movie about the problems with politeness. Maybe. I dunno, it took way too long to do the thing you knew it was going to do and so by then I just didn't really care anymore. I'll tell you what though, never trusting any Dutch people that's for sure.
[4]

101. MIFF - Flux Gourmet
New film from Peter Strickland is exactly what you would want it to be. No real horror elements to this one but it is quite funny and silly and he shows his panache for attacking the senses at various stages. Also goes back to his, I'm assuming, obsession with sound and sound tech.
[8]

102. MIFF - Something in the Dirt
So good to see that even though Benson and Moorhead have been absorbed into the MCU machine they still have the desire to make little sci-fi films that fit into their own cinematic universe. I feel like there's a bit to unpack in this one and I could definitely see some of the more obvious connections but I need to think and read about some of the other stuff. It's not quite as solid as Resolution or The Endless but I still really enjoyed it.
[7]

103. MIFF - Vortex
Definitely Noe's quietest film and quite devastating in the way you expect. I found it perhaps a bit too quiet but that could have been not helped by fairly uncomfortable cinema seats. I found the early stuff to be sadder than anything that came after. DS will love it.
[7]

104. MIFF - R.M.N.
A glimpse into modern life and cultural identity of small village Romania. Or at least what it must be like for some. Interesting film, not perfect like 4 Months was but largely because the story is spread across more characters. There's a lot of sub text in this I think and it stayed in My mind for a while after.
[8]

105. MIFF - Aftersun
A Sofia Coppola style mood piece and character study from a first time feature director and a young father in holiday with his daughter. At times this felt a bit first film in how it held onto some shots a bit too long and tried to be a bit too arty but it was quite beautiful at times and well told. A shitty day at work probably got in the way of me letting go and sinking into the slow moody side of it.
[6]

106. MIFF - Dual
I had a good time with this black comedy from the Art of Self Defence guy. Don't really want to say much about it. I like his Yorgos-lite tone and being shorter films they don't outstay their welcome. First film in a while to make me actually laugh.
[8]

107. MIFF - Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon
New one from Girl Walks Home Alone at Night that fits in that Spring Breakers kind of realm of a small journey through slightly seedy USA. Some good performances and a bangin' soundtrack made this with the watch.
[7]

108. MIFF - Bodies Bodies Bodies
Final MIFF movie this year was a pretty fun gen-z slasher thing. Had a good crowd for it as it's quite funny at times. Unfortunately it's not scary and the "mystery" seemed pretty obvious and so the middle section really lagged for me.
[5]

109. Eden Lake
Chavs Gone Wild in this much lower budget looking than I was expecting thriller with not many actual thrills. They got so lucky getting Fassbender just as his career was about to really start, he goes all in as he does. Didn't like this much but interesting to see this director made my fave Black Mirror, Shut Up and Dance
[3]

110. Mission: Impossible
Fun little spy thriller that still holds up thanks to De Palma's filmmaking with split shots, extreme close ups, coloured lighting and a nice layer of sleaze throughout. Amazed at how well the effects hold up at the end. Well before they hit the tunnel anyway.
[8]

111. Lamb
I love that movies like this get made. Probably need to do some reading about it to learn about the Icelandic specific nature of it. Amazing animal acting in it too.
[7]

112. The Guilty
I rather enjoyed this. It's a bit overblown but Gyllenhaal does douchebag well and all the voice acting stuff was done really well. Probably should watch the original at some point to see what it's like. Most people say it's better but I guess I've probably ruined it for myself now.
[8]

113. Buried
Remember when Ryan Reynolds did acting and would only occasionally throw in an RR style joke here and there. I feel like he's always been a pretty good actor. This isn't as good as some of his other more serious roles but considering it's a guy in a box for 90 mins it does pretty well with it. Just gets a little overblown at times to try and make it more exciting than it needed to be.
[5]

114. The Hunger
A rather sexy style over substance "vampire" movie from Tony Scott. I don't mind pure style movies - and I liked how this one used editing to convey the vampire effects - but it does also try and have some real story threads and when those threads are started but then forgotten it just makes for an unsatisfying movie.
[4 swooshy lace curtains out of 10]

115. SMILE
Had a fun, if unoriginal premise, and some great cinematography but it just never made good use of it and went for Conjuring style jumps instead of being creepy. Could have been good if it was creepy. Also not sure what point it was trying to make about mental health stuff. Very good cast of people that you recognise from bit parts in other things, including yer boi from Dinner in America DS.
[4]

116. Orphan: First Kill
So weird to see the old Dark Castle Productions logo at the start of this, feel like I haven't seen it in years. Looks like it hasn't been upressed or updated in years either. This was a silly film. Kind of fun though although it just never really did anything to make it worthwhile
[5]

117. Fall
Pretty dang good film about two people stuck on a super high radio tower. Considering the fairly low budget there was only a handful of shots that didn't land and they managed to get a good sense of vertigo going throughout. It pinches various plot elements from better films but I still had a lot of fun with this. Can't believe it got a cinema release really. Makes me wish Come True had one.
[7]

118. Hellraiser (2022)
Fuuuuck, why did this have to suck! Such a good director and such good source material but it just wasn't really good at all. I think it suffers from the Boba Fett effect. Sure the character kinda looked cool standing there but that's not what that film was about and I really don't care to have another thing made that's more about that character instead of telling a good story. The biggest shame is that it wasn't even scary or unsettling. Both of Bruckner's previous films really got under my skin and this should have been the perfect setting for that but it just didn't. There's some cool practical set and SFX work in this but it's all for nothing. Need to go back to the original now to remind myself of what a good Hellraiser film is.
[3]

119. Phantom of the Open
A nice and inoffensive movie to watch when you just want to watch something easy. Mark Rylance always adds a weird energy to his films I find but I think it suited this.
[6]

120. Summer of Soul
Absolutely amazing footage of what seemed to be an awesome festival at an important time. I can't help but feel like the festival deserved better than this though as it was quite rushed at times and I'm sure it left out a lot of acts. I think it said at some point it was over multiple weekends but I could be wrong. I feel like it should have been a mini series instead. Although maybe I would have thought that too long.
[8]

121. Three Thousand Years of Longing
I really like this. I think it's flawed in ways but I feel like it takes a certain kind of confidence to make a movie that is as quiet as this is at times and allows the dialogue to just play out. Helped by having Tilda Swinton of course. I like the visual imagination presented throughout too. I think it falters a little in the final bit but overall I like how I am still thinking about it after it was over.
[8]

122. Deadstream
This was a lot of fun. Quite a good companion piece with Dashcam although I prefer the latter. I think this one needed to be shorter but, also, it did make me laugh and have a good time all the way until the end.
[7]

123. Barbarian
This is quite a lot of fun but I think a lot of the higher review scores would have come from people who knew literally nothing about it. I tried to be like that but even though that's the narrative around the film the marketing does not seem to care about that and even though I tried to avoid as much as I could some stuff slipped through for me. So yes, try to go in not knowing anything if you can.
[6]

124. Pearl
Well this was excellent. As fun as X was I think this was a more better film with Mia Goth really nailing the lead performance. A whole heap of fun and such a clever use of the resources they had for X.
[8]

125. Signs
Managed to convince my non-horror gf to watch one spooky movie each year on Halloween. Trying to go easy early on. I do really love this movie though. It's ham-fisted at times but it shows how good Shyamalan is at adding flavour to his characters in the writing and his cool visual ideas in shooting stuff. Great sound design too.
[8]

126. Halloween Ends
Well this was better than expected especially after Kills. Tries to do something interesting and have actual characters. Also uses its violence wisely and decides not to show some stuff which is completely opposite to the last one. Shame it's still sloppy AF with weird pacing at times and ADR and other things that suggest changes were made late. RLM vid matches my feelings.
[5]

127. The Quiet Girl
A beautiful little film that is quiet like the main character. Irish seems like such an interesting language too with it often being hard to connect the spoken words to the sentence written in the subs.
One of the best films of the year.
[9]

128. American Factory
A very interesting topic for a documentary but one where you could tell they didn't know what the actual throughline of the doco was meant to be. Started strong and I thought it would be personal tales but then it just flits between topics at whim. All of which are interesting but are never fully seen through. Disappointing really and not sure how it won the Oscar.
[5]

129. All Quiet on the Western Front
Was lucky enough to go see this at a cinema which made me sad that it didn't get a bigger release because it really deserved it. Very good War movie covering various elements of being at the Western Front. Interesting soundtrack too.
[8]

130. Great White
Needed something dumb for my night shift and this was indeed very dumb. And cheap. It actually does alright for effects and such for the most part but it goes to show that even if you have all the cliches in there you still have to do a good job of them to have them work.
[3]

131. White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch
I think I had this brand mixed up with American Apparel which I was interested to see why that crumbled. A and F had similar recruiting strategies as the other brand so I'm guessing it was for similar reasons. Another fairly slapdash feeling doco though like American Factory. Interesting but not compelling.
[5]

132. Wakanda Forever
Chadwick's passing was handled respectfully and it seems like it fitted into the story they already wanted to tell fairly smoothly. It's a little bit messy though and a bit overlong. Martin Freeman's American accent is much improved though and Ludwig Goransson has made the best Marvel soundtrack and one of the best scores of the year I feel.
[6]

133. A View From the Top
Finally got around to watching my Secret Santa present (sorry Cos!) and it was quite a good little film. And interesting. Starts off kinda Legally Blonde and a bit satirical and then just forgets about that stuff and becomes a pretty good rom com type thing. Am interested to read what Richard Ayaode has to say about it in his book.
[6]

134. Soft and Quiet
Hard to know what to say about a film that is probably best watched without knowing too much about it apart from making sure you know that it goes to some unpleasant places. If you can stomach films that don't hold back and that touch upon modern issues then I highly recommend this, as does DS.
[9]

135. Decision to Leave
I liked how silly this film was at times but I never fully got invested in it. Kind of hard to watch new films like this after you've seen Burning and Memories of Murder as not much stands up to these. Still an entertaining watch though. Wish there was less visual effects for some parts though as it stood out to me.
[6]

136. Bones and All
Seems a lot of people love this. I didn't really dig it. I like the concept but I don't think it did enough with it to justify the run time. It felt too subtle in some time and also not subtle enough in others. Some nice effects work though.
[5]

137. Thor: Love and Thunder
Rewatch because gf hadn't seen it. Such an interesting movie really. The start and the end of it are really quite fantasic with some very cool shot choices and visual ideas and well put together sequences but the entire middle is an absolute mess with some fun or funny stuff sprinkled in there but none of it with the confidence shown at either end. Why hire Christian Bale to be one of the most interesting and cool Marvel bad guys for a long while but then never really use him and instead have a bunch of improv stuff or average jokes that go on too long. A shame really.
[5]

138. GDT Pinnocchio
Firstly, the animation is great and, secondly, so is Ewan McGregor. Unfortunately the rest is very GDT in that it's very white, it's overly long, the storytelling loses its way until it just plain gives up trying to have it make sense, there's a political sub(and not so sub)text that works sometimes but then also doesn't work at others and it's all just a bit meh. A shame really. A shame that I keep thinking I'll like any GDT film after Pan's Labyrinth. Why isn't the theme that the film ends on the driving force for the film as a whole? I like that idea and it's the strongest one it has but it is secondary until all of a sudden it's apparently not.
[4]

139. V/H/S 99
And lo, as VHS3 didst follow the great VHS2, so does VHS99 follow the very good VHS94. I'm guessing all directors for this though 1999 was full of fuckwits because every character in this series is annoying and a douchebag. The shorts are mostly very bad except for the last one by the Deadstream team who do a good job with a cool concept. I actually skipped through one it was so bad and it was the longest one!
[3]

140. Mad God
Can you really rate someones fever dream hellscape brought to life through animation? I guess so. It's as amazing as it is gross and weird and creepy and I hope that Phil Tippet is doing okay. I'm guessing people asked him if he was okay after he released this.
[9]

141. Spy
Quite the palate cleanser after the last one. One of Feig's few good films. Largely because it has actual jokes in it. You can tell the scenes where he just kept the camera rolling and told them to 'say something funny' because it cuts between characters after every line. It's tiring. Luckily there aren't many of those and the rest is obviously workshopped jokes and some actual written stuff. I laughed a fair amount. Statham is very fun in this.
[7]

142. The Stranger
DS reminded me to watch this. Very good crime thriller with great central performances. Worth a watch.
[8]

143. Tyrannosaur
Cinty reminded me to watch this. Always interested by one and done films by directors. Paddy must have had this kicking around in his brain. Harsh stuff. Does feel like a first film film at times, threatens to derail itself, but always held together by the main performances, especially Olivia in one of her first serious roles who knocks it out of the park.
[8]

144. Creep 2
The first one was good fun and so was this. I always like seeing found footage films that have a new idea or something interesting to do with it. Can recommend both of these.
[8]

145. The Rover
I feel like this was wanting to be a The Road or even a Mad Max of sorts but I couldn't really get on with it. It has some cool stunts and effects but it was the world that didn't land for me. Didn't seem to make sense that it was a violent world but people were pretty chill instead of on edge all the time. Some good acting by the mains although maybe a little too good by Pattinson who might be slightly over playing it.
[5]

146. Troll Hunter
I feel like I needed to have watched it at the time. I think the effects hold up mostly but the rest is a little boring and the characterisation is a bit weak. Pretty scenery though.
[4]

147. Terrifier 2: Electric Grossaloo
Not sure why I watched this considering I hated the first one. I guess to see the effects. I mean it's over 2 hours! There was a little part of me that thought maybe it was that long because they had a good story. Alas, they did not. It is that long just because he's a terrible director/editor. There's nothing as heinous as what was in the first one but the effects are as gross as they are impressive. A film like this just shows that gruesome horror special effects don't mean anything if you don't care for the characters or the story. At least Wolf Creek 2 tried to tell a story with real characters before it went all icky. If you're going to make your film look like a film from the 70s why not watch some of those to see why they work.
[2]

148. Avatar 2: Electric Bluegaloo
So here we are. A weird one really considering the long gestation. Considering it's been in the works so long you'd think they would hire a script-writer that could make use of what little dialogue there is. There's some really basic stuff in here it's actually a little embarassing and it's all extremely heteronormative too, so much "bro" and "cuz" that just doesn't work as well as old school gender role type stuff. Due to it being in English instead of Na'vi it also strays into some dangerous cultural appropriation/imitation and other iffy areas. Script [4].
The story itself is okay but also considering how long it's been in the works you'd hope that maybe they could have done something a little more nuanced, especially with the military side which is just pulled straight from the first where they are genuinely evil. Not saying you needed to care for them but maybe just a little more than "hoorah" all the time. The flow and editing of the story is a bit weird too, cutting away too soon or going between multiple stories when it should have stuck with one. Did people in focus testing say they got bored seeing just one story at that time? Weird choice to me and the mid-section would have been much improved just showing the Sully story. Story [5]
Also weird that the soundtrack is absolute garbage. The original themes pulled from the first movie are still great but all the new music is 100% Micky Mousing it's way through each sequence, another missed opportunity [3]
Finally, the visual and tech stuff and cinematic experience. Well this is where all the money and effort went and fuck me it's stunning. IMAX 3D and it makes you remember what you thought 3D movies were going to be after Avatar 1 came out. So much depth and immersion. Add onto that the high frame rate of this one and it really does transport you at times. I feel like they should have held onto the HFR until the water to make it a Wizard of Oz moment as it makes a lot of the early stuff look like a video game but once you're in the water you can see why they did it. Really is a technical marvel and impressive all the way through. [9]
Ultimately, I feel like it's a bit of a missed opportunity as they had so long to really nail the story elements but there's also a part of me that sees this as the setup to, potentially, more interesting storytelling going forward. I also didn't feel like I watched a 3 hour movie and that counts for something. Damning with faint praise.
[6]

149. Near Dark
Hmmmmmmm, I really like how dark the night is in this. I like how violent it is because it makes the vampire stuff seem much less sexy than it can in other movies. But I found the half-baked storytelling to be a little bit too half-baked for me, especially with the central relationship. And I also didn't really like how they tied it all up in terms of the vampire stuff. Neat to see so many Aliens peeps together though.
[5]

150. The Green Knight
A rewatch because it kind of is Christmas movie. Still really great. Beautifully shot and acted and designed and just a nicely told story.
[8]

151. Glass Onion
I had fun with this but felt all the cameos that littered the early part of the film made it feel fairly smug and I think I liked the smaller or simpler feel of the first one. The main middle mystery part was the funnest part I thought.
[7]

152. Resurrection
Very good little indie thriller lead by the always amazing Rebecca Hall. She really deserves more kudos.
[8]

153. Banshees of Inirsherin
He's rather good at writing a fillum oh yes he is. I think it's a testament to his ability to come up with compelling new stories that means his style never feels redone with each new project even though it they hit similar beats in terms of tone swings.
[9]

154. History of the Occult
Have to love little-ish indies with big ideas. This is a pretty fun horror/thriller thing that really goes for it and largely succeeds. Even though it's quite short I feel like it could have been a bit tighter but you can't get too mad at a film like this.
[7.5]

Webbins

1. Scream
A rewatch of the series pending a cinema visit for the new film. Lacking the impact of all those years ago but still an always enjoyable horror ride of self-reference. 8.5

2. Die Hard with a Vengence
The return of John McTiernan to the director's seat and a Gruber to the antagonist role sees an uptick in this third sequel, ably supported by a better plot and Samuel L Jackson. 8

3. Scream 2
Strong sequel sees Sidney now at college but unable to escape Ghostface as a Father Death clothed copycat starts wreaking havoc on campus. 8

4. Die Hard 4.0
Fairly weak generic fourth instalment, obsessed with the tech theme of the time (four point oh no), sees Willis battling cyber-terrorist Timothy Olyphant. Gets a half point extra for the car killing helicopter and F-35 scenes... and the lovely Maggie Q. 6.5

5. A Good Day to Die Hard
Pointless fifth instalment, as far removed from the OG trilogy as it gets. Willis has slipped into his straight to video career nadir at this point and phones in a facsimile John McClane performance, Jai Courtney adds frig all as Jack McClane. I'm only giving it a five as it's my fifth film of the year so far and the fifth and hopefully final DH. 5

6. Scream 3
Disappointing second sequel sees Ghostface working his way through the cast of Stab 3 to draw out Sidney towards a flimsy and convoluted final reveal. Less memorable than the first two films. 6

7. Scream 4
A long gap between sequels sees Sidney now a successful writer on a book tour, as Ghostface begins another murderous spree. A better sequel than 3, the horror genres influencing the themes have changed but the tenuous nature of the central plot has not. 7

8. Intruder
Apeshite nutjob retail wanker stalks and slices late night supermarket staff, including Raimi's Sam and Ted, in this not at all bad 1989 slasher. Clean up on aisle 4... and 7, 13, 21... 7

9. For the Sake of Vicious
Is as the title suggests, a home invasion horror that solely exists to showcase vicious violence with little in the way of character, depth, credible premise... not terrible but hard to recommend. 6

10. Till Death
Megan Fox puts in a decent performance as a woman who wakes up handcuffed to her husband as he promptly commits suicide, leaving her to drag his body around a secluded wintery lake house. 7

11. Scream (2022)
Very solid and entertaining 'requel'. Doesn't stray too far from the Scream formula but updates the meta and adds some very nice touches along the way. Hopefully the sequels can remain equally as strong. 8

12. Alice, Sweet Alice
Catholicism flavoured, Omenesque, Don't Look Now influenced 1976 slasher. A girl is murdered at her first Communion and it is her sister, sweet yet troubled Alice who becomes the prime suspect. 7

13. Stitches
Ross Noble makes a rare foray into acting as an apeshit undead clown with a grudge, resurrected to wreak revenge on the kids that caused his untimely demise. Silly, splatty, yet watchable comedy horror, an amusing umbrella death the stand out kill. 6

14. Jennifer's Body
Very flawed but still entertaining comedy horror. A demonic Megan Fox sizzles on screen even if the rest of the film does not. An extra half point for the Fox/Seyfried kiss, genuine omg. 7

15. Clueless
Perfectly rewatchable slice of the 90s. Plotless, pointless but totally endearing and cute. A Baldwin of a film. 8

16. The Gentlemen
A rewatch of this fairly decent Guy Ritchie caper. Strong performances from all and Ritchie's trademark banter doesn't grate as much as usual. A half point for The Toddlers tracksuits, drip game is strong. 7.5

17. The Crush
Obsessed, nutjob teen girl infatuates over Cary Elwes' older, handsome man neighbour in this Alicia Silverstone career launching, lightweight thriller. 6

18. Hot Tub Time Machine
Four men inadvertently travel back to 1986 via a faulty hot tub and must attempt to re-enact past experiences to return. Silly and shallow but fun, with a likeable cast holding it all together. 6.5

19. Employee of the Month
Inoffensive and watchable comedy as two cash and carry dudes compete for the affection of new girl Jessica Simpson. 6

20. Another Round
Four teaching friends in a mid life rut decide to test a theory that holding a certain amount of alcohol in your blood can improve life. Danish tragicomedy with the mesmerising Mads Mikkelsen in typically top form. Not as moving as the hype led me to believe, but both sobering (heh) and life affirming at the same time. 8.5

21. A Quiet Place Part II
A solid sequel with a good addition in Cillian Murphy but just lacking the tension and focus for me that made the first film so successful. 7.5

22. Nobody
Hugely entertaining action thriller starring Bob Odenkirk as a man in a rut pushed to return to his dangerous and deadly past. Lots of beautiful John Wickesque violence, and a high body count with a perfectly pitched turn by Odenkirk. 8.5

23. The Football Factory
I think I watched this out of some morbid curiosity knowing full well I'd dislike it because of the obnoxious subject matter. Fackin' cant of a film. 5

24. Along Came Polly
Pretty slim early 00s, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston rom-com. Hank Azaria's French 'scoobaa' instructor probably the highlight. 6

25. The Tinder Swindler
Cringey but weirdly watchable doco. More for the bemusement that somebody could fall for such a greasy prick. The false lure of glamour and wealth can never be overlooked I guess. 7

26. Pig
Prime Nic Cage performance as a swine loving truffle hunter whose curly tailed one is snatched, prompting a return to his past in order to retrieve the porky pet. 8

27. Obsessed
Thin but watchable psychological thriller. Ali Larter's sexy but psycho temp attempts to interrupt the happy marriage of Idris Elba and Beyonce. 6.5

28. PIN
Slightly bizarre Canadian 80s horror. A strict doctor uses ventriloquism and an anatomy dummy to educate his two kids. The unstable son however, allows the dummy to take on a life of its own. 6

29. The Undertaker
That guy Joe Spinell is the highlight as a nutjob undertaker in this 1988 slasher that wasn't actually officially released until 2010 to DVD. Notable for being Spinell's last film before his death in 1989. 7

30. The Outpost
A well shot, realistic account of the Battle of Kamdesh, which occurred in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan. Starring Scott Eastwood, who at times I can't tell is actually trying to act like his dad, or is just putting in a natural yet enjoyable performance. 8

31. Halloween: Resurrection
Pretty poor follow up to the enjoyable H20, the theme of an internet reality show and hidden cameras a particularly painful and dated conceit. I would love to have been in the negotiations that saw Busta Rhymes make it through proceedings and best Michael. 5.5

32. Old
An interesting premise, a group of people stranded on a beach that rapidly ages them. No doubt let down by having Shyamalan as the director, producer and scriptwriter, as evidenced by the odd script and uneven acting. 6

33. Cujo
Aww nice doggy gets bitten by rabid bat and turns into apeshit psycho hound from hell. Pretty respectable film version of Stephen King's 1981 novel. 7

34. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
A modern retelling of the Iphigenia in Aulis Greek tragedy. Colin Farrell's surgeon must make a difficult decision when the true motive of a befriended young man becomes chillingly clear. 8

35. Amsterdamned
Actually quite enjoyable 1988 Dutch slasher. A detective must stop a nutjob apeshit diver who uses the canals of Amsterdam to stalk his victims. Part slasher, part black comedy, part Bond film (Vic Armstrong was a stuntman), this was an entertaining watch 7.5

36. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
I thought I wanted to see more Borat but after half an hour I decided I didn't need more Borat. Not technically a bad film but just one where the joke was well worn after the first film. 6

37. The Changeling
1980 haunted house horror that didn't really provide me with the old school scares and suspense I hoped for. 7

38. One Man and His Shoes
Doco focusing on the cultural phenomenon of Michael Jordan and the Nike Air Jordan sneaker line. An interesting account that ends on a rightfully dark tone as it explores the tragic deaths that have occurred from the fervour to have the latest Jordan shoe, and the relative silence from Nike and Jordan himself to acknowledge this. 7.5

39. Boiling Point
Stephen Graham is excellent as the beleaguered head chef in this tense, stressful and claustrophobic, brilliantly made, one shot kitchen nightmare. 9

40. Malignant
Slightly ridiculous, massively flawed and not even remotely scary, James Wan body horror. Having said that, I did like the duality of the protagonist/antagonist in Gabriel, just in a better film. 6.5

41. The Way Way Back
Gentle coming of age comedy that doesn't really stir too many emotions until the end, but is well played and amiable. 7

42. Surge
A commanding central performance by Ben Whishaw chronicling one man's mental breakdown. An intentionally very confusing and discomforting watch. 8

43. Flatliners (1990)
A missed opportunity to properly explore the mystique of life beyond death instead preferring to fall back on a tale of guilt and atonement. Belting 90s brat pack cast however. 6

44. Don't Breathe 2
A sequel to the original that loses most of what made the first a success. Stephen Lang is still immensely watchable as the blind veteran who is seemingly cast as an anti hero despite his actions in the first film. 7

45. Bad Hair
I quite enjoyed this comedy horror, a satire on the perception of changing image to gain success. A girl looking to make it as a VJ at a TV station (it's the 90s yo) changes her Afro hair to a more culturally acceptable hair weave, unaware of its demonic nature. 7.5

46. Gosford Park
I'd always wanted to watch this 2001 star studded black murder mystery but I can't say I fully enjoyed it now that I have. Maybe I've been spoilt by Knives Out but this felt flat and meandering in comparison. 6.5

47. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight
Polish slasher that wears its Friday the 13th inspirations a little too much on its sleeve. Not terrible but once they ripped off the sleeping bag kill from F13 Part 7 my interest waned. 6

48. Derailed
Fairly decent twisty thriller featuring Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston and a menacing Vincent Cassel. Owen stars as a man who fights back when he becomes the victim of a violent and destructive scam. 7

49. Murder on the Orient Express
All star Kenneth Branagh version of the Agatha Christie novel. Lavishly produced and well played but lacking an equally lavish script and that much needed sparkle to maintain interest. 7

50. Out of the Blue
Tense and unflinching 2006 New Zealand film starring Karl Urban, based on the 1990 Aramoana massacre in which 13 residents of a small coastal NZ town died at the hands of a lone gunman. 8

51. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Enjoyable and very nostalgic sequel. A handover to a new generation of ghostbuster. The handling of Harold Ramis/Egon's passing is emotionally dealt. 7.5

52. Layer Cake
Decent crime caper starring a pre-Bond Daniel Craig... although as I'm writing this it's not lived long in the memory! It was enjoyable at the time but didn't leave a lasting impression. 7.5

53. Coming Home in the Dark
A family are abducted by a seemingly unrelated pair of drifters in this tense and dark, 2021 New Zealand psychological thriller. 8

54. Piranha
Silly, and surprisingly entertaining killer fish remake with some equally eyebrow raising stars. An earthquake unleashes a deadly, and hungry, school of prehistoric piranhas that chew their way through the star studded cast. 7

55. Robocop 35th Anniversary 4k
Limited cinema release of this 1987 Paul Verhoeven classic. The 4k print didn't really add anything new, but it was a pleasure to rewatch this iconic slice of sci-fi violence on the big screen for the first time. 9

56. Top Gun
Another rewatch ahead of the visit to the iMax to watch Maverick. Always enjoyable, iconic and eminently quotable, Tom Cruise naval aviator actioner. Stunning cinematography and buckets of nostalgia. 9

57. Bad Boys for Life
Better than expected sequel sees the ageing duo of Mike and Marcus facing up to their advancing years as a secret from the past forces them both into action. 7.5

58. Top Gun: Maverick
Hugely entertaining sequel that pays respect to the original through several call backs whilst offering an updated slant on the flight school formula. 9

59. The Constant Gardener
Diplomat Ralph Fiennes investigates the mysterious death in Kenya of his activist wife, Rachel Weisz, in this conspiracy thriller. Great performances and a much better film on reflection that my attention would acknowledge at the time. 7.5

60. Old School
Bunch of thirtysomethings start a frat, hijinks ensue. Not seen this since back when it came out in 2003. Probably best left there, one of those movies from that age and cast that dates pretty badly. 5.5

61. The Crow
First watch of this, swerved it for years thinking it would be some emo angst fest, quite the opposite... what a film! A stylish and brooding tale of a resurrected rock musician wreaking vengence on his and his fiancee's murderers. Actually quite poignant knowing the fate of Brandon Lee. 8.5

62. Executive Decision
Pretty by the numbers terrorists in the air action film, but a quite entertaining popcorn movie all the same. Still not quite convinced Poirot could be such a nasty bastard. 7

63. Carriers
Post apocalyptic pandemic thriller, seemed fairly solid but kinda washed over me a bit. 6.5

64. Dune (2021)
Expected more from this. Visually impressive and a strong cast but I found my attention wavering and it just felt a bit bland, maybe just not for me. 6.5

65. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
Weak fifth instalment as Freddy uses a baby's dreams to continue his reign of terror. 5.5

66. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Tarantino's stylish homage to martial arts cinema still packs a punch after all these years. 8.5

67. A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead
Fairly forgettable sixth instalment as Freddy's reign is 'finally' brought to an end by his daughter. 5.5

68. The Lost Boys
Iconic 80s black comedy vamp movie, great cast, top soundtrack and always rewatchable. 8

69. Hustle
Very enjoyable Sandler flick, as his jaded NBA scout gives his all to get a flawed but brilliant Spanish player into the NBA. Cracking basketball action and Sandler gives a very strong performance as the scout with heart and belief. 8.5

70. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
A. 7

71. The Business
A. 7

72. Wes Craven's New Nightmare
A. 8.5

73. End of Watch
A. 8

74. The Guilty
A. 7

75. The Batman
A. 8.5

76. Wrong Turn (2021)
A. 7

77. The Many Saints of Newark
A. 8

78. Burning Love
A. 8

79. The Conjuring
A. 7.5

80. The Other Woman
A. 7

81. The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case
A. 7.5

82. The Conjuring 2: The Devil Made Me Do It
A. 7

83. Alone
A. 7

84. Trainwreck: Woodstock '99
A. 8

85. Werewolves Within
A. 6.5

86. The Purge: Election Year
A. 6.5

87. Halloween: H20
A. 7

88. House of Gucci
A. 7.5

89. Thrashin'
A. 7

90. Scoop
A. 7

91. The Blob
A. 8

92. The Final Destination
A. 6.5

93. Match Point
A. 7

94. Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead
A. 7

95. Train to Busan
A. 8

96. Knock Knock
A. 6.5

97. X
A. 8

98. Old People
A. 7.5

99. Weekender
A. 6

100. Halloween Kills
A. 8

101. Halloween Ends
A. 7.5

102. Consenting Adults
A. 6.5

103. Halloween (1978)
A. 9

104. Scream (2022)
A. 7.5

105. Sea of Love
A. 7.5

106. Halloween II
A. 7.5

107. The Wash
A. 6.5

108. Beverley Hills Cop
A. 7.5

109. A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
A. 6

110. The Northman
A. 8.5

111. Basic Instinct
A. 8

112. Wanted: Dead or Alive
A. 6.5

113. Joe Kidd
A. 6.5

114. Christmas Bloody Christmas
A. 6.5

115. Indecent Proposal
A. 7

116. Christmas Evil
A. 7.5

117. Silent Night, Deadly Night
A. 8

118. Die Hard
A. 9

119. Glass Onion
A. 8

120. Banshees of Inisherin
A. 8.5

121. Poker Face
A. 6

acemuzzy

Out!

hylian_elf

2020: 74 (average score 7.03)
Best new new film: Parasite
Best new old film: Memories of Murder
Best already seen film: Once Upon A Time in America

2021: 48 (average score 7.04)
Best new new film: Saint Maud
Best new old film: Moonlight
Best already seen film: In the Mood for Love

2022…

1. Smiles of a Summer Night - 1/1
So I’ve decided to start my Ingmar Bergman run in order of how the movies are arranged in the Criterion Collection boxset. Easier to track that way.

A comic tale of love triangles between the faithful and the unfaithful, culminating in a resolution at a Midsummer’s Night party. Great to watch and I’ve already noticed the sub-theme of losing faith in religion, something that I had read runs through quite a few of Bergman’s films - a reflection on his own loss of faith at a young age. Looking forward to seeing the rest of his work. 1 down, 38 to go (or 39 more if counting Fanny and Alexander twice).
[8]

2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 15/1
The only books my 11yo daughter read on her own. Borrowing the boxset and watching them all with the kids (although 8yo probably will get scared by some bits).
Never read the books (didn't last more than a few pages of the first one) and only seen this movie once many years ago. No real desire to do so. Anyway...
I found it dull and shit before and still find it dull and shit although it sows the seeds for some interesting stuff. I guess I should cut some slack here, they're just little kids, but my daughter and I found the acting so over the top and dramatic at times.
[5]

3. Memoria - 16/1
Not having seen an Apichatpong Weerasethakul film before, I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleased to find an expertly directed contemplative story with a minimalist approach to sound and visuals that perfectly suits the setting. Tilda Swinton is fantastic in the lead role, conveying so much of her character and mood with her expressions (or lack of) and body language. Perfectly suited to the role too. Slightly let down by the final act which I felt was unnecessary. Recommended.
[8]

4. The Eternals - 16/1
I honestly thought I would enjoy this more on a second viewing (with the kids this time). But nope. Still not any good.
[5]

5. Avengers Infinity War - 21/1
The Boy (and I) wanted to watch this, our favourite MCU movie, on my 4KTV with Sonos on surround. Glorious! Lovely looking and sounding non-stop action with Thanos stealing the show. Still unbeaten.
[9]

6. Cold Water - 22/1
Troubled rebellious teenagers in love caught on film basically. Shot on a low budget using a handheld 16mm camera, mostly close up shots with lots of tracking and long takes. A good watch.
[8]

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 22/1
How did this stuff ever become so popular? Better start getting good soon. At least the kids like it.
[5]

8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 23/1
Much better! The kids are getting better at acting. Pacing and story better too. Possibly helped by change of director to Alfonso Cuaron. I enjoyed this one.
[7]

9. Avengers Endgame - 28/1
Whilst I don’t enjoy this as much as Infinity War, it’s just such an impressive feat of filmmaking that they managed to pull together over 10 years of cinema - and what, over 20 movies? - into one cohesive and coherent finale. Bravo.
[8]

10. Sing 2 - 29/1
Day out with the kids. Vue seats, nachos and cheese, not as good as Odeon (Luxe). Milkshake is nice, paper straw? I’m all for reducing plastic but fuck off with your paper fucking straw. I managed not even a quarter of the shake before it disintegrated. I’m going to have to invest in a reusable metal straw or something for such occasions. Oh yeah. The movie.
Meh. Wasn’t funny, wasn’t entertaining enough. Even the kids weren’t impressed. First half was trash. Second half was better; I would totally watch a performance like that in real life. Song selection was decent.
[5]

11. The Tragedy of Macbeth - 30/1
Well. It’s Macbeth. Beautiful with great performance by the leads. That is all.
[8]

12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 30/1
Found this one somewhat boring.
[5]

13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 5/2
A decent build-up with a satisfying set-piece at the end.
[7]

14. Don’t Look Up - 11/2
Not exactly subtle in its commentary, but it still works as a satire. Didn’t get any proper laughs, just a few giggles, and it didn’t have any performances of note. Too long, and was irritating in places. Some lovely imagery in the final scene(s) though.
[6]

15. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 13/2
I wasn’t a fan of the brown film stock / tint to the visuals but did mostly enjoy the slower pace and characterisation and twists and turns of this episode.
[7]

16. Dark Waters - 19/2
Scary and brilliant docu-movie about Teflon and the dangers and Big Corps.
[8]

17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - 19/2
Good build-up to the finale but suffers from being part 1 and therefore feels like it's just a teaser or stepping stone to the next film.
[7]

18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - 20/2
A grand finale full of spectacle and surprises and emotion. A great finish.
[8]

19. The Godfather - 1/3
50th anniversary 4K re-release of possibly the greatest film ever made, and still a/the GoaT.
[10]

20. The Batman - 6/3
Way too long and the finale was not great, but I liked it. Brutal action, very moody and atmospheric, and RPatz does well. Look forward to the inevitable sequel, although the villain they possibly teased - not sure about that.
[8]

21. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 9/4
I somehow managed to sit through this trash. My boy enjoyed every minute though.
[4]

22. The Northman - 17/4
Brutal, gory, and unrelenting. I tried my best not to let that put me off as I can be quite squeamish. In the end, this was a thoroughly enjoyable revenge movie with ponderous scenes also thrown into the mix with the savagery and violence. Great to look at although not the same level of artistry as Eggers's previous.
[8]

23. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 8/5
A bit 'all over the place' but still fun. Quite graphic and disturbing with horror elements, even for a 12A. Glad it was 'only' 2 hours.
[6]

24. Everything Everywhere All at Once - 18/5
What the fuck did I just watch? A breathtaking and exhilarating rollercoaster of a movie that moves at breakneck speed, full of inventiveness, creativity, and clever editing and camerwork. It's fun and funny, with humour and pathos. It's just... everything.

Minor gripe of it being too much too fast, it doesn't really allow time for anything to truly sink in, and as a result the storytelling suffers from the kind of (over)exposition I dislike - but it could just be my old brain being too slow and in any case, I can't see how else they could do it within the 140min runtime (which incidentally flew by and felt more like 90min).

Needless to say, I will be watching it again in the near future.
[9]

25. Escape Plan 2 - 26/5
I was in the mood for a relaxing dumb movie last night. Everything was over 2hrs long but this seemed short enough for my tired mind and eyes and I didn't mind the first one much, or at least that's what my tired brain told me.
Fuck me. I wasn't expecting the level of dumb and shite that I got with this utterly rubbish sequel - bad acting, bad action choreography, bad editing, bad 'plot', just plain bad all through. I just couldn't wait for it to end, maybe should've just stopped it and not wasted anymore of my time. Pretty sure I nodded off at one point. Utter garbage. One of the worst movies I've ever seen.
[2]

26. Predator - 27/5
Now this is how you do big dumb action movie! The best. One of my most-watched movies and one of my favourites. One that my friends and I quote on almost a daily basis.
Looks good in 4K and sound and action and one-liners and everything all still great. Hasn’t aged a single bit. Any ropey effects are completely overlooked cos who fucking cares.
[9]

27. Top Gun - 31/5
Found this to be boring and pointless and just badly made/delivered. Some fun in the dogfights and I like the sound and look of those fighter jets. That's about it.
[5]

28. Alien Covenant - 2/6
Atrocious. These are just getting worse and worse. No tension, shit plot and characters, hardly scary, and characters make the stupidest mistakes - more so than in Prometheus. And they mess around with previous stuff again. In an uninteresting way, losing all the interesting things from before.
Utter fucking garbage.
[2]

29. Murder on the Orient Express - 3/6
Not read any Christie, so I don’t know how faithful this film is to the source material on story, plot and the Poirot character. I found it a bit messy, everyone spoke and moved too fast and the movie moved fast. Not enough time for anything to sink in and for me to formulate any real opinions of or feelings for the characters. I didn’t actually care much for the plot. Disappointing.
[5]

30. One Hour Photo - 4/6
Tense psychological thriller about a guy obsessed with a particular family. Doesn't do anything new or great, but it was enjoyable.
[7]

31. The Father - 10/6
Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as an aging father whose health is declining, relying more and more on care but refusing to accept it. Brilliantly written, directed and acted.
[9]

32. Thor Love and Thunder - 9/7
Fun but dumb, just a tad too dumb. The humour is welcome, but it's more silly than I would like, to the point where it becomes hard to take anything seriously. The plot has glaring holes and questionable decisions in the writing, but at least the action was fun.
[6]

33. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 22/7
It’s been on my list for such a long time and finally got round to it. Didn’t disappoint. Seems to me to be about finding something to keep you going and to get over hate and anger. Or maybe I’m reading it wrong, but whatever it is, it is a joy to watch. I do enjoy films set in quieter towns and seeing different America rather than New York or LA. The icing on the cake was the beautiful chill soundtrack.
[9]

34. The Big Short - 29/7
I always find documovies like these where big corps fuck over the little people scary and make me very very angry. Good stuff.
[8]

35. Solaris (US) - 29/7
Not as beautiful or as good as Tarkovsky’s adaptation, but a good watch and thought provoking nonetheless. Would love to read the book but apparently the translation is shit.
[7]

36. Nomadland - 30/7
Slow to get going but once it does, it is beautiful viewing. Acting was very natural without any melodrama whatsoever which added to the steeped-in-reality feel of the movie. My initial feelings of guilt of living a relatively opulent life have way, after a while, to feelings of fascination and wonder and even curiosity of what such a life would be like.
[9]

37. Prey - 5/8
First half hour (third) of the movie was a bit slow and dull to be honest, but it then really picks up. The CGI is a bit off but the action was fun and it ended up being an enjoyable romp. Still not a patch on the orginal which is near-perfect for an action movie.
[7]

38. Spider-Man - 20/8
Holiday rewatch.
[8]

39. Batman Begins - 22/8
Holiday rewatch.
[8]

40. Godzilla vs. Kong - 23/8
Holiday rewatch.
[6]

41. Jurassic Park: The Lost World - 26/8
Holiday (flight) rewatch.
[8]

42. Spider-Man: Homecoming - 26/8
Holiday (flight) rewatch.
[7]

43. Split - 28/8
Above average Shyamalan thriller that sets up Glass. Nothing particularly stands out, but McAvoy wasn’t bad doing multiple personalities.
[6]

44. Glass - 29/8
Utter garbage. The setting and plot was uninteresting and actualy infuriated me with how it played out and what the characters did or didn't do. While the middle third had some interesting developments mainly around one of the main characters, it all descended into a farce with a bollocks of an ending that leaves you feeling cold and hard done by - and again, the behaviour of the characters was just baffling. Not even the action could save it, itself being mediocre in the choreogrpahy and cinematography. Avoid.
[3]

45. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 3/9
Having not seen it since in the cinema, I decided to go through the trilogy with the kids.
I could see them both fidgeting and moving around after just 10 minutes. Bored. 20 minutes - yawning and looking at their phones. I was contemplating just skipping entire first section. So utterly boring and drawn out, no way to start an action/adventure movie. Things picked up, there were orcs and trolls and we were happy to carry on. But then they keep throwing in random non-Hobbit stuff in and draw everything out - scenes that could be a minute or two last for 10 minutes.
So mostly makes for painful tedious viewing but the action and quality of the visuals almost makes up for it. I do like me some dragons, though, and I recall Smaug was well depicted - so bring on the second movie anyway.
[6]

46. The Witch - 4/9
Having seen Eggers's other two films, of which I highly rate The Lighthouse, I was expecting a decent movie and this didn't disappoint. Eerie and unsettling folktale horror with unnerving music and atmosphere. Washed out colour palette suits the content perfectlty and it's beautifully shot. Top of the Eggers for me.
[9]

47. Top Gun: Maverick - 6/9
Both expectedly and also unexpectedly, this was fantastic. So glad I managed to catch it on the big screen as it was a true feast for the senses, pure fighter jet porn.
In short, a perfect sequel - not a perfect film (still too corny and cheesy in places for my liking) but just a better film than the first in every single way. The acting, the writing, the cinematography, even the music which sees an update to the main theme that I can’t get out of my head.
Last but not least, Jennifer Connelly. Worth it for her alone.
[9]

48. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 11/9
Went to see it at the cinema with the boy. He wasn't as impressed as I was at his age but that's understandable. Still a great watch, for me.
[8]

49. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - 17/9
A much better film, Part Two is. It has fun and excitement from the off (still too much overhead drone-cam style panning shots which I dislike). The length is still a problem (and there's a longer Extended version!), with many scenes that could be shorter just dragging on and not adding anything.
Still, worth an extra point or two for Smaug - even though his scenes also dragged a bit.
[7]

50. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - 25/9
Great for eyes and ears but again way too long and so much they could have cut out. Could’ve been great.
[6]

51. The Shape of Water - 1/10
Hardly any originality to the story but beautiful to watch. Found the relationship between the lead and the merman unconvincing (and cringeworthy at times) but I was still glued to the screen throughout.
[8]

52. Far Far Away - 2/10
Low budget indie Hong Kong comedy romance about a 28 year old IT geek who is finding it hard to date and strike up a relationship with a girl. Cue friends trying to hook him up and old acquaintances making appearances and other opportunities arising for him - and these take him to far and even remote corners of Hong Kong.
Some of the jokes were either lost in translation or you had to be Chinese - whilst I often smiled and lauged, out loud on more than one occasion, there were moments where the Chinese-majority audience in the cinema were in hysterics.
I don't know if the actors were professionals or not, but the performances were good and very believable.
One of the main reasons I wanted to watch it was the promise of seeing Hong Kong outside of the main city, which itself I am fascinated by. It didn't disappoint and there were some beautiful scenes in locations that made me want to visit even more than before.
Took a chance on this and I am glad I got to see it, specially with a nice Q&A session at the end with the director via Zoom video call.
[8]

53. See How They Run - 2/10
Plenty of this fell flat for me. The split frame style used on occasion didn't work for me, the performances were unconvincing, the comic writing was off (although I got one or two laughs out of it) and I was rolling my eyes a fair bit. Completely avergae in every respect.
[5]

54. The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended) - 8/10
Not as impressive visually as upon release, but still an epic. In contrast to the later Hobbit film(s), even the extended version is better paced and more tolerable in its longer scenes. The Boy enjoyed it too and seems to have taken a liking to Aragorn/Viggo.
[8]

55. Decision to Leave - 14/10
Chan-Wook's latest is typically twisty turny but sometimes a tad confusing. Lots of humour and an interesting to watch story of lies and desire and unfulfilled relationships. Just wish it was easier to follow.
[7]

56. The Two Towers (Extended) - 16/10
Epic epic EPIC - a step up from Fellowship and as entertaining as it ever was.
[9]

57. The Return of the King (Extended) - 23/10
After all these years, it is still so impressive what they did with the trilogy. Turned up to 11 on all fronts. A wonderful father-son time watching the three films together.
[9]

58. Flowers of Shanghai - 29/10
My first Hou Hsiao-hsien. A lovely film full of so many beautiful ladies, not least Michelle Reis!
A period piece set in late 19th century China, portraying the interconnected lives of several courtesans and their benefactors/clients and the romance, tension, and jealousy that comes with it. An intriguing look back at a decadent and opulent time, when beautiful girls were trapped and improsoned from a young age and beaten, driven to work hard to buy their freedom.
Shot by the renowend and masterful Mark Lee Ping-bing almost entirely as very long takes with the camera slowly moving between subjects of interest. Each scene taking place in a single room/location, it is beautiful to watch. There's some gentle classical music in the background, almost melancholic and never overbearing or taking cetre stage - that belongs to all the actors.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves Asian cinema.
[9]

59. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - 13/11
Dull and uninteresting plot and villain and characters, lacking a screen presence, only held together by some decent action scenes. Fight on the bridge was the highlight.
[5]

60. Glass Onion - 26/12
I enjoyed this, Craig plays a brilliant character. It was all a bit too obvious though for a murder mystery, and the final act was weaker than the rest of the film, but overall it does the job and does it well.
[7]

61. The Banshees of Inisherin - 27/12
Another cracker from Martin McDonagh. Gleeson and Farrell are brilliant and the supporting cast are great too. Ireland is shot beautifully and the music is wonderful. Witty and melancholic, funny and sad and somewhat ambiguous, it’s a great piece of cinema.
[8]

62. John Wick - 27/12
Pure unadulterated action fun is presumably all that this sets out to do and it does with punch and oomph and style galore.
[7]

63. John Wick: Chapter 2 - 28/12
More nonsense action fun.
[7]

64. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - 29/12
Even more nonsense and action fun.
[7]

b0r1s

I’m in. I’ll add scores this year cos people like a number.

1. Kong - Skull Island - 4
2. The Terminal - 8
3. Law Abiding Citizen - 6
4. The Big Short - 9
5. Mute - 4
6. Constantine - 6
7. The Magnificent Seven - 7
8. Marvel Avengers: Infinity War - 10
9. The Lighthouse - 5
10. Black Widow - 7
11. Ocean’s Eleven - 9
12. Mother / Android - 5
13. The Eternals - 5
14. The Departed - 9
15. Black Panther - 9
16. The Trial of The Chicago 7 - 7
17. Avengers: Endgame - 9
18. Inside Man - 7
19. Dallas Buyers Club - 8
20. Bicentennial Man - 7
21. The Monument Men - 8
22. The Adam Project - 4
23. Split - 6
24. Murder on The Orient Express - 7
25. Death on The Nile - 6
26. The Martian - 9
27. Dr. Strange - 9
28. Spider-Man: No Way Home - 7
29. Legend - 7
30. Goodfellas - 9
31. Tremors - 9
32. Calibre - 8
33. Dr Strange in The Multiverse of Madness - 6
34. The Mummy - 9
35. The Mummy Returns - 7
36. Her - 8
37. I Origins - 7
38. The Gray Man - 9
39. The Sea Beast - 8
40. Venom - 7
41. Rogue One - 8
42. Prey - 7
43. Chaos Walking - 5
44. Luck - 6
45. Moonfall - 4
46. Coach Carter - 6
47. The Golden Child - 7
46. Day Shift - 6
47. Road to Perdition - 9
48. Avatar - 8
49. & 50. Maze Runner - Scorch Trials and Death Cure - 6 and 6
51. Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring - 10
52. In Time - 7
53. 13 Lives - 8
54. Contact - 9
55. Top Gun: Maverick - 6
56. Top Gun - 9
57. Planes, Trains and Automobiles - 5
58. The Batman - 8
59. Looper - 960. The Holiday - 8
61. Saving Private Ryan - 10
62. Nativity - 8
63. Last Christmas - 8
64. Frozen - 9
65. Muppets Christmas Carol - 10
66. Love Actually - 7
67. How to Train Your Dragon - 9
68. It’s A Wonderful Life - 10
69. Edge of Tomorrow - 8
70. Klaus - 9
71. Office Christmas Party - 6

The Daddy

I’ll do it again, until I inevitably fall behind and then just give up.

The Last Duel. Enjoyed this. Was interesting seeing the different viewpoints. It's a shame it's so long, would definitely benefit from a subsequent watch the see the subtle differences. [8]

Sing 2. I haven't seen Sing 1 (but wife n kids have), but this was a solid, alebit by the numbers, animated music affair. Nice spread of genres in the tunes too. I'm sure there was some Mercury Rev in there. [7]

Ghostbusters Afterlife. Kinda pointless but at least they tried to do something akin to a traditional sequel rather than just a reboot. Relatively enjoyable. [6]

Verecocha

I watch so many movies it’s tough to keep up but I’m gonna get in on it again.

1. The Campaign
Nice easy afternoon fodder…never gets old. 6/10

2. Tropic Thunder
Another ‘never gets old’. Some great crazed performances. They’d never be able to make this now. Shame. 6/10

3. Interstellar
Still gets better every time I watch it…10/10

4.Resident Evil - First Watch
I don’t think I was supposed to enjoy that as much as I did. That was awesome. So much of the game packed into it, even fitting in characters like Lisa Trevor. Now that was a Resi film. Aces. 8/10.

5.The Accountant
Another good easy watch over a couple of lunchtimes at work. Just an enjoyable action romp. 7/10

6.Triple Frontier - First Watch
Quite enjoyed this. You know exactly what you’re getting and that it’s all going to go tits up, but still a reasonably engaging action/heist movie. 6/10

7.LotR - The Two Towers
Watched the Fellowship and the Hobbits just before Christmas so finishing off the series. As good as always, an easy enjoyable watch. 7/10

8.Ghostbusters-Afterlife - First Watch
That had no right to be as good as it was. Lots of nostalgia unsurprisingly but it was also its own movie with some good little performers and massively entertaining. Thought the 7.5 on IMDB must have been a mistake but fully deserved. Well and truly enjoyed that. 8/10 for me.

poprock

Here we go again …

The Proposal
What better way to start the year than with a low-tier romcom starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, with recently-departed legend Betty White in a supporting role? (Reader, it was shit.)

The Harder They Fall
Fun, lightweight western. Idris Elba is weirdly wooden and ends up the least charismatic person on screen, which was a surprise.

Queenpins
‘White collar’ crime movie about two suburban women committing fraud on an epic scale. Played light-hearted, but not quite a comedy. Surprise appearance from Vince Vaughn and a cameo from Bebe Rexha of all people.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
I need to remember that most Ryan Reynolds movies are B-tier shit action comedies and just stop watching them.

The Nest
Overwrought, self-important ‘thriller’ with no thrills. Jude Law and Carrie Coon as an unhappily married English/American couple living beyond their means in the early ’80s. Nothing interesting happens.

On the Rocks
Sophia Coppola revisits the themes of Lost in Translation from the perspective of an older, wiser woman. But still with Bill Murray as the manic pixie grandfather. A nice film. Not great, not fancy, just nice.

Eternals
The first Marvel film to be dull. Emotionless performances, flat imagery, and worst of all it takes itself way too seriously whilst tackling ridiculous themes.

The Protege
Samuel L Jackson will appear in any old shit these days, eh? Bottom-tier hitman/revenge thriller with few thrills and, for some reason, Michael Keaton.

Inside Job
Strong documentary on the role of the US in the late-2000s global financial meltdown. Some surprisingly high profile interviewees, but ultimately it just makes you angry (and rightly so).

Promising Young Woman
Breezy but awkward revenge thriller. Or is it a comedy? Either way, I did not expect how dark it got.

The First Monday in May
Documentary about the 2015 Met Gala. You think it’s going to be about fashion and celebrity but the film actually turns out to be about the exhibition design and the logistics of setting up the Met’s biggest ever single exhibit, then the logistics of planning the Gala night. It’s a brilliant film. Second time I’ve watched it and I suspect I’ll do so again.

The King’s Man
Abysmal attempt to rescue the franchise by winding back a century and starting again. Godawful from start to finish.

House of Gucci
Glorious, brilliant trash. Gaga is fantastic. Driver supports well. Pacino and Leto chew scenery in spectacular fashion. It’s awful but I loved it.

The Devil Wears Prada
If I’m channel surfing and this film is on, I always watch it right through to the end. I can think of no higher compliment.

The Tinder Swindler
I’m not really into true crime stuff but this exposé of a con man was well put together. Deserves a [7].

Nightmare Alley
Del Toro’s remake of a ’40s noir. It’s a stylish but tired fable that could have used some semblance of interior lives for its supporting characters. At least it’s pretty, I guess.

Death on the Nile
Branagh makes a great Poirot, and the cast all pitch in gamely … but this just isn’t as good as his version of Murder on the Orient Express. It feels rushed, even at two hours long, and the characters aren’t given enough depth.

All the Old Knives
A spy thriller boiled down to a conversation between two ex-lovers. Big stars. Slow burn. Subtle. All the things I should like, but it somehow it just doesn’t land. Felt a bit flat, and the twist was signposted a mile off.

The Matrix Resurrections
A pointless, overlong, weak nostalgiafest. Features almost the entire cast of Sense8 in barely-even-sketched supporting roles.

Spider-Man: No Way Home
One fun idea stretched out over two hours. Not sure I get the hype over this one. I enjoyed Doc Strange being tetchy though.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Two hours of weak nostalgia-baiting which is admittedly a thousand times better than the last attempt to reboot the franchise. At least this one feels like a proper sequel.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Well, it certainly lives up to its title. Mad as a box of hair. You could fit the plot on the back of a fag packet but they stretch it easily to two hours through layer upon layer of sheer visual exuberance. Forgettable, but fun.

Uncharted
Dumb fun with Tom Holland and Mark Whalberg playing at being B-tier Indiana Jones wannabes. Innofensive trash.

Spiderhead
Chris Hemsworth as a mad scientist with a private prison island for testing his behavioural control drugs. Events get predictably out of hand. Not a bad movie, but not a great one by a long shot.

The Gray Man
Netflix trying to do Bond. Great cast, massive budget, confusingly shot fight scenes and a plot hole at the end. Vacuous but charismatic.

Top Gun:Maverick
Tom Cruise plays a character refusing to age by going back and doing the same thing he did 35 years earlier and being even better at it, while replacing the female characters with younger versions.

But drop the cynicism, because this is a great movie. Not a patch on the original, but far, far better than I ever expected.

Everything Everywhere All At Once
There’s a fine line between madness and genius and this movie straddles it perfectly. Complete insanity held together by Michelle Yeoh’s charisma. Marvel movies take note: This is how you do a multiverse story.

Do Revenge
Netflix does Mean Girls starring Maya Hawke, with one of the best cameos since Zombieland. It’s as if this film was specifically designed to appeal to me. Incredible soundtrack. Questionable supporting performances. Two impeccable lead actresses. Loved it.

Prey
Predator vs 18th century Comanches. Unexpectedly brilliant, with a charismatic young lead actress. Short and sweet.

Luckiest Girl Alive
The blurb and thumbnails made this look like a romcom about a big wedding. It’s not. It’s really not. Mila Kunis knocks it out of the park as a victim of teenage trauma wrestling with whether to chase revenge or rise above.

The Lost Boys
This was our Halloween movie for the year. And it was lovely to dip back into late-’80s Santa Carla for an hour and a half. Still looks and sounds great.

See How They Run
An excellent cast having fun in a daft murder mystery. Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell steal the show, which is no mean feat against Adrien Brody on top form. Short, tight, fun with a sort of Wes Anderson-lite vibe.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Unbearably shit movie trying to be clever and failing. Nic Cage plays Nic Cage being hired by a crime lord superfan to appear at a party as Nic Cage. A few genuinely funny moments does not a decent movie make.

Enola Holmes 2
Just like the first one, this is straightforward lightweight fun. A family-friendly riff on Sherlock Holmes with charismatic leads. Helena Bonham-Carter does some marvellous scene-stealing.

Sicario
For some reason I’d never seen this before. I guess everyone has movies they just miss. It’s brilliant. A tight CIA/FBI thriller with a top cast. Understated and beautifully shot. Blunt, Del Toro and Brolin are all great.

Bullet Train
I wanted a brainless action farce with a star-studded cast. This delivered in spades. It’s crap and brilliant at the same time. Lots of hitmen unknowingly hired to kill each other on a bullet train. Hilarity ensues.

Sicario 2: Soldado
A decent thriller but not a patch on the first film. Missing the ‘outsider’ perspective from Emily Blunt’s character leaves this feeling like a pretty standard military tale.

Spirited
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds doing postmodern Christmas Carol as a musical. It’s glossy and big budget enough that it couldn’t really be bad, but it’s completely forgettable. It lacks nuance too - every musical number is treated like a big finale. No variety in tone.

Glass Onion
Daniel Craig’s the ringmaster, but Janelle Monae is the star, bossing it over a cast of a hundred cameos. It’s not as good as Knives Out, but it is amusing anyway.

Amsterdam
An ensemble piece led by Christian Bale and Margot Robbie with a stellar back-up cast and some top-flight cameos. Made by the bloke behind American Hustle and it lands somewhere between that and Oh Brother Where Art Thou. It’s kooky. I can’t think of a better word. Kooky. Set between the World Wars, with some bad luck putting three friends in the wrong place at the wrong time and ratcheting up to a based-on-real-history attempt to launch National Socialism in the US.

The Lost City
Light entertainment. A budget Indiana Jones with Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock’s immobile botox face. It does have a few genuine laughs, thankfully.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Turns out Zac Efron can act. Who knew? A much better Vietnam movie than I expected from its ‘innocent abroad’ true story premise. Nice stuff, with some quality cameo support from Bill Murray and Russell Crowe.

davyK

2021 list

2022
06/01 Don't Look Up
09/01 Bronson
10/01 Carlito's Way (r)
12/01 Amityville Horror (1979)
13/01 Ghostbusters Afterlife (p)
19/01 The Imitation Game *
20/01 The Killing
21/01 Belfast (p)
29/01 The Equaliser
31/01 Dune pt.1 (r)
16-17/02 The Sorrow and The Pity (r)
19/02 The Football Factory
25/02 Citizen Kane
05/03 12 Monkeys (r)
06/03 The Godfather (r)
07/03 Eternals
08/03 King Kong (1933)
09/03 The Third Man
10/03 The Godfather Part 2 (r)
12/03 Mirror
13/03 The Turin Horse
15/03 Black Swan
20/03 Jojo Rabbit
21/03 The Lighthouse
25/03 The Quatermass Xperiment
26/03 Quatermass II
29/03 Elysium
02/04 Body of Lies
03/04 Ad Astra
04/04 Hunt for Red October
06/04 The Royal Tenenbaums (r)
08/04 Cosmos
12/04 Cell
15/04 Looper
16/04 In Bruges
18/04 The Father
18/04 Layer Cake
19/04 Le Mans '66
21/04 The VVitch
22/04 Calvary
23/04 Inside Man
24/04 Spencer
25/05 Raging Bull (c)
03/05 Grave of the Fireflies (r)
06/05 Taxi Driver (r)
08/05 Drive
09/05 Taxi
10/05 Night of the Hunter
11/05 The Descent
12/05 Three Days of the Condor
17/05 Mike Bassett England Manager (r)
18/05 John Carpenter's Vampires
19/05 Armoured
21/05 War Dogs
01/06 Cathy Come Home
03/06 Beneath The Planet of the Apes (r)
03/06 Battle of Britain
05/06 Senna (d)
06/06 Damnation
07/06 Prometheus
08/06 Alien Covenant
09/06 Tremors
11/06 Blood Diamond
16/06 Aliens (Special Edition) (r)
20/06 He Got Game
21/06 Sicario
02/07 Stalker (r)
04/07 Battleship Potemkin
07/07 Eraserhead (p)(r)
10/07 American Sniper
11/07 Cube (r)
12/07 The Thing from another World (1951)
13/07 Fallen
15/07 Margin Call (r)
16/07 Fall of the House of Usher
16/07 Gog
16/07 Frogs
19/07 The Expendables
21/07 Triangle
22/07 True Story
23/07 Soylent Green (p)(r)
23/07 The Public Image is Rotten (d)
24/07 The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (r)
25/07 Behind The Curve (d)
25/07 The Pit and the Pendulum
26/07 Mean Streets (r)
28/07 The Blood on Satan's Claw
29/07 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
30/07 Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
03/08 The Gray Man
06/08 2010:The Year We Make Contact (r)
11/08 Hidden Figures
14/08 Alien vs Predator
15/08 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
16/08 Lord of War
19/08 Convict *
21/08 Deadpool 2
22/08 Legend
25/08 Diego Maradonna (d)
26/08 Night Hunter
27/08 The Drop
31/08 The Man Who Fell to Earth
01/09 Top Gun Maverick (p)
03/09 Bullet train (p)
04/09 Logan
05/09 Everything Everywhere All At Once
06/09 Sinister
11/09 Damnation (r)
12/09 Doom
13/09 In Cold Blood
16/09 Closing Gambit : 1978 Korchnoi v Karpov and The Kremlin (d)
18/09 Mirror (r)
24/09 See How They Run (p)
25/09 Rogue One (r)
26/09 Carnival of Souls
28/09 The Evil Dead (1981) (r)
29/09 Evil Dead II (r)
30/09 Army of Darkness
09/10 The Woman in Black
10/10 The Sentinel
16/10 Howl's Moving Castle
18/10 Nixon
19/10 Xmen Dark Phoenix
24/10 Hellraiser (1987)
24/10 Left Behind
25/10 Red Lights
27/10 Neither the Sea nor the Sand
30/10 Banshees of Inisherin (p)
31/10 Halloween Ends (p)
31/10 Let The Right One In (2008)
16/11 Tigerland
18/11 Brian and Charles
27/11 War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
28/11 Devil's Knot
30/11 Goodnight Oppy (d)
03/12 Love and Death (r)
04/12 Gremlins (r)
05/12 Glengarry Glen Ross
10/12 Troll
10/12 Flight/Risk (d)
10/12 Krampus (r)
11/12 Guardians of the Galaxy 2
11/12 Scrooge (1970) (r)
12/12 Deliver us from Evil
13/12 City Lights (r)
20/12 Fanny and Alexander (3hr) (r)(p)
27/12 Sudden Impact

* - abandoned
(d) - documentary
(r) - rewatch
(c) - rewatch with commentary
(p) - projected/cinema

Dark Soldier

Yeah go on then, in

Spoiler:

afgavinstan

I'm gonna try.

poprock

The Proposal
What better way to start the year than with a low-tier romcom starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, with recently-departed legend Betty White in a supporting role? (Reader, it was shit.)

Dark Soldier

1. Don't Look Up

Some absolute shit in there with top performances. Very on the nose. Di Caprio wasted. Way, way too long. [5]

2. Death at a Funeral

The English original. Second watch. Great slapstick comedy in there with some stellar talent. Still love it. [8]

Diluted Dante

I cannot believe that a film with those three could be shit.

Gremill

In!

1. Jungle Cruise
Without the two leads, this would have been an awful, CGI-bloated shambles of a film. As it is, it's merely a serviceable family adventure with bloated CGI that somehow manages to be both impressive and shonky at the same time. 6

2. Wonder Woman 1984
I watched the first 45 minutes of this last year but had to turn it off because it was so unutterably awful. Turned it on the other night and caught the last 45 minutes, which were almost as bad. I might watch the middle third at some point if I find myself in need of a reason to jam cutlery into my eyes and ears. Appalling shite.1

3. Miss Congeniality
Great fun, Sandra Bullock is funny and looks amazing and Michael Caine and The Shat shamelessly ham it up. 7

4. The Eternals
Went in with low expectations and knowing nothing about it and it was much better than I thought it was going to be. It's definitely the prettiest Marvel film and it felt very different to anything they've done before. Very long but very enjoyable. 7

5. The Hobbit: Battle of the 5 Armies
I love the LotR films, but other than a few amazing scenes from this trilogy I found the majority of the Hobbit films a bit crap. They're tonally all over the place but actually I enjoyed this one on rewatch, probably because it's the darkest of the three and totally the most consistent. 7

6. Arrival
Just one of the best sci-fi films of the last (insert period here). 10

7. A Quiet Place Part 2
Not as good as the first one, too much reliance on cheap jump scares and I actually got quite bored about half way through, which isn't great for a 90 minute film. You can't keep up that level of tension without it getting tedious. Good start and decent end, but a bit meh overall. 6

8. The Suicide Squad
Could have done with losing 20-30 minutes, but was good fun whilst it lasted - and OMFG the body count was spectacular. By far the best DC film so far. 8

9. Another Round.
A beautiful hymn to the highs and lows of alcohol, shot through with a heartfelt and often hilarious study of middle aged men and the things that make us the way we are. This may be the best film I watch this year - I can't think what might be better. It's rare that a film can make me cry with joy, but goddamn that final scene is perfect. 10

10. Guns Akimbo
Harry Potter stars as a loser computer programmer who trolls the wrong people and end up on a Running Man style versus deathmatch with a psychotic mass murderer. Very, very violent, very very stupid but tonnes of fun. 7

11. RoboCop (2014)
This is not as shit as I thought it was going to be. Some great actors and an interesting take on the character make this actually quite a decent movie. It's not trying to be Verhoevens RoboCop and it works quite well on its own terms. 7

12. Nobody
Or, Better Call An Ambulance. Wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't really much of an idea what the film was outside of the poster image. What it is, is a tight 90 minutes of carnage brilliantly choreographed with a great Central performance. 9

13. Encounter
Riz Ahmed turns in a fantastic performance as a dad who rescues his kids from an insidious, micro-biological alien invasion and takes them on the road to try and escape the infection. Clever, unexpected and tense. 8

14. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are great (particularly Tomei...goddamn) In this story of a washed up wrestler who has fucked up everything that matters in his life. It's an acting masterclass, but the film left me a little underwhelmed - my least favourite of Aronofskys films. 7

15. Parasite
Bong Joon Ho's superb social satire is funny, tragic and shocking in equal measure. It's also gorgeous to look at, the entire cast is amazing and the soundtrack brilliant. I can see why it won the Oscar. 10

16. Grosse Pointe Blank
Hadn't seen this for about 15 years but it's still as great as I remember it being. 9

17. #Alive
South Korea really does churn out the old zombie themed film and TV doesn't it? This is a story about a shut-in Twitch streamer who finds himself trapped in his apartment by a zombie virus. It does absolutely nothing new but it's a diverting way to spend 90 or so minutes. 6

18. 12 Years a Slave
Finally got around to watching this quite frankly astonishing film and it occurred to me that I was struggling to think of many other 'serious' films that have been made about slavery in my lifetime. Amistad is the only one I can come up with (Django Unchained doesn't count, although I might watch that tomorrow to get some fictional revenge closure from the trauma that this film showed). The counterpoints of the stunning beauty of the cinematography against the raw brutality of the life of a slave in the South is really quite something. As are the performances of the entire cast, with everyone - even smaller parts - firing on all cylinders and then some. The three main cast members - Ejiofor, N'Yongo and Fassbender - are incredible. Not a film that I'm likely to watch again, but one that'll stay with me for a while. 10

19. The Revenant
Or, the punishment of DiCaprio. Another movie that places the stunning beauty of the environment and cinematography against the brutality of the events happening within in. DiCaprio is superb, as are Tom Hardy and Will Poulter but the sheer audacity of some of the long takes and the intensity they bring to the film are what made it for me. As Westerns go it's right up there with the best. 10

20. Unstoppable
Korean 'action' movie starring Don Lee (the big bloke in Train to Busan) who hunts down his wife's kidnappers, who are running a human trafficking ring. This should have been a bone crunching action film and Lee is a great screen presence but it's a wasted opportunity - not that much interesting happens, it's tonally all over the place and is far too long. All in all, pretty shit. 4

21. Riders of Justice
Well now. I think I might be in love with Mads Mikkelson. This film has everything that I wanted from 2 hours of cinema. It's got visceral action, it's got genuinely funny dialogue between believable underdog characters, it's got Mads being hard as all fuck whilst also being vulnerable and it's got real, heartfelt soul that made me cry at the end. Absolutely fucking brilliant from start to finish. This film made me want to learn how to speak Danish so I could appreciate it more. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. 10

22. Encanto
Lovely Disney animation with some great songs, great music and amusing donkeys. 8

23. Event Horizon
Haven't seen this for 23 years but thought I'd see if it was as scary as I remember it being. It's actually not bad - it's a medium budget sci-fi that actually looks cheaper than the $60m it cost. First 2/3 is pretty great creepy sci-fi but suffers from characters making decisions that make the scientists in Prometheus look like risk averse logic Gods. Last third is absolute pish and the ending is baffling. Would like to have seen the original 2.5hr cut. 6

24. Start Trek Beyond
Pretty rubbish. Bad guy is a bit Dr Who shite rubber mask and I spent most of the film wondering why anything that was happening, was happening. Jokes fell flat, action was mostly boring and watching Kirk fail upwards yet again (I mean, how many fucking multi-trillion space buck ships are they going to let him destroy?) was mostly tedious. There was some serious cringe and cheese factor 11 pish in it towards the end too. 4

25. Ravenous
Prime slice of 90s cannibalism themed horror, with Robert Carlyle terrorising Guy Pearce in a winter battered outpost in 1850s California. It's more schlocky than I remember it being and has some weird inconsistent comedy beats but it's still a great watch. 8

26. Hot Fuzz
By far Edgar Wright's best film - a hilarious, action movie referencing, super-chop editing love song to the cop movies of the 90s. Great fun every time I watch it and watching it this time around with my 13yo sun and his mate (who doesn't normally get to watch anything over a PG) was an absolute pleasure. 9

27. Django Unchained
Hadn't seen this since it was released and although I really enjoyed it at the time, I enjoyed it significantly less this time around. It's far, far too long and the self indulgence of some of the writing is as excessive as the run time. It's probably because the culture has changed so much since it was released, but Tarantino's excessive use of the N-word really made me quite uncomfortable. 12 Years a Slave showed that you can make a historically accurate film in that time period without resorting to the level of immature edge lord shite that this film rams down your throat. However, Christophe Waltz is brilliant as ever, Foxx is a total bad-ass, DiCaprio is pure disgusting evil flavoured ham and there are some great sequences in there. They're just part of a bloated, badly written mess of a film. 5

28. The Adam Project
Family friendly time travel shenanigans with Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo. Like a lot of Netflix movies it's not quite as good as it could have been, but it coasts along on the charm of the leads and the banter between Reynolds and his younger self. What it is, is a perfectly serviceable Sunday afternoon action romp and there's nothing wrong with that. 7

29. Knives Out
A rewatch, but because I didn't really remember much of it (although as it progressed I remembered more) I really enjoyed it as over again. Superb cast, great script and very funny at times. 8

30. The Matrix
One of the most 90s movies of the 90s. Very Green and at times a bit cringe it's still a cracking action romp even though a lot of it has been memed to death and has lost a bit of its impact. 8

31. Death on the Nile
Not as good as Orient Express, but Branagh is a great Poirot and there's lots to enjoy especially, if like me, you haven't ever watched an adaptation of the source material. Great cast too. 7

32. The Fifth Element
Hadn't seen this for years and although I did enjoy it at the time I never thought it was the stone cold classic that some think it is. However, I think I actually enjoyed it more now than i did on its release. It's endearingly daft, rough around the edges and as it accelerates towards the end just gets absolutely ridiculous. I hated Ruby Rhod when I first watched this but Tucker is brilliantly unhinged from the moment he steps on screen. Loved the practical effects and production design more now than i did before - it just ask works so well together. 8

33. Palm Springs
Really entertaining time loop romcom with added JK Simmons goodness. 8

34. No Time To Die
I'm not a big fan of Bond but this was an entertaining way to spend a bank holiday. Some really great action sequences interspersed with a mixture of tedious exposition and ludicrous script. Too long and too many knowing winks to the fans that quickly got old. Some gorgeous location work and lovely cinematography but bang average overall. 6

35. The Shawshank Redemption
I'd forgotten just how great this film is. Everything about it is proper. 10

36. In Bruges
Just brilliant. Colin Farrell is absolutely superb in this, but then so is Brendan Gleason and Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes in particular is so fucking menacing, he's up there with Don Logan as people that you wouldn't ever want to have a conversation with. Amazingly funny and, because of the cast, very poignant too. 9

37. Calibre
Low budget thriller in which 2 old friends go deer hunting in the remote Scottish Highlands. The locals don't take to their city boy ways, tragedy occurs and things quickly spiral out of control. Bleak but beautifully shot, with some great performances across the whole cast. It's a well worn trope of outsiders Vs locals, but this manages to avoid the cliché and become something quite great. 8

38. The Big Short
Can't believe I waited so long to watch this. Fantastic telling off the 2008 economic collapse, why it happened, what caused it and who profited. Funny, smart, informative and brilliantly put together. 10

39. Dune
Woah. Truly epic, visually stunning and flew past. Could've watched another hour of this easily. 10

40. Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
Decent enough entry in the ongoing marvel behemoth, but it was lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. It is however very entertaining for most of its run time (but could have done with some more judicous editing to reduce the length) and is easily the most horror tinged of the marvel movies. It's worth seeing just for the sheer amount of Sam Raimi's trademark insane directorial flourishes - there's hints of Evil Dead in there for sure. It actually gets more and more bonkers as it goes and the last 45 minutes is at times truly inspired. 7

41. Ghostbusters Afterlife
Went into this with very low expectations but had a whale of a time - a proper old fashioned kids adventure movie with a side order of nostalgia/tribute to the original that works brilliantly. I can't believe quite how great it was - it's only real crime was under using Paul Rudd, but focussing on the great cast of kids was the right decision - it's their movie. Really, really great stuff. 8

42. Moonrise Kingdom
I stopped keeping up with Wes Anderson films after being so disappointed by Darjeeling Express, but this was an enjoyably odd little film with a great cast and some gorgeous visuals. It's absolutely peak Anderson, quirk factor 11, and whether or not you like this is entirely predicated on whether you find that endearing or insufferable. My kids didn't have a fucking clue what was happening to them - but the eldest came out the other side having really liked it. 8

43. Independence Day: Recycled
Absolute dogshit from start to finish. 1

44. Blade 2.
A lot better than remember it being. Really pulpy nonsense with some great action sequences. Great fun. 8

45. The Paper Tigers
Charming little low budget Kung Fu film about three past it martial arts disciples who reunite after their sensei is killed in mysterious circumstances. It's funny, poignant and sightly cheesy but has a big heart and some really great fight choreography. 7

46. Mission: Impossible 3
Realised I hadn't seen this one so stuck it on for some brainless action for a Saturday night. Really great fun, like almost all of these films are, only let down by some of the direction which was a bit too shaky-camtastic at times. 8

47. Good Will Hunting
Another one that I'd forgotten how great it is. Everyone in it looks scarily young, except for Robin Williams. Damon is superb as the cocky, arrogant but broken blue collar genius and Williams is incredible - was this one of his first 'serious' roles? The only negative was that I didn't remember Minnie Drivers character being quite so irritating - but she pulls it out of the bag towards the end. 8

48. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Great fun, brilliant action sequences, top stunts and Tom running. 8

49. In The Earth
Not sure what to make of this. Ben Wheatley's environmental horror is visually stunning, often highly creepy, has some incredible sound design and has a very classic British horror sensibility to it. But is it any good? I'm not sure. I guess I enjoyed watching it? Did I? It definitely felt like it was missing something that would have elevated it to greatness, but I'm too thick to know what it is. 7

50. Master & Commander
Long overdue rewatch of this ripping seafaring yarn in the best movie franchise that never was. Crowe is great, but then so are the entire cast of convincing salty sea dogs, as they hunt down a French ship that's bigger, faster and more powerful than their trusty boat. Brilliant stuff. 8

51. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
These films get better and better as the series progresses and this one is a cracker. Some jaw dropping stunts and action sequences, peppered with humour and a great bad guy played by Sean Harris. The entire sequence starting with breaking into the underwater torus and then transitioning to one of the great chase scenes is an absolute masterclass in tension and adrenaline packed action cinema. 9

52. Possum
Another Sean Harris movie, which could not have been more different from the first in this unwitting double bill. A disturbing, weird, minimalist psychological horror that is like being submerged in a tank of 1970s British Public Information films. It's like Hauntology: The Movie as Harris returns 'home' to a dingy, decaying house somewhere in Norfolk - with some horrifying baggage both metaphorical and literal - to be reunited with his oozing, disgusting, belligerent Uncle Maurice (Alun Armstrong). Both leads are phenomenal, but it's the destroyed beauty of the locations that really creates the uniquely British atmosphere of oppressive/oppressed hopelessness through which Harris's broken man trudges and tries to rid himself of his past. 9

53. Thor: Love and Thunder
Disappointing. Not as great as Ragnarok and although it has laughs and action aplenty it's a bit too try hard, contrived and silly to be really effective. Crossing the line from action-comedy to try to be comedy-action was a mistake - quite a few of the jokes were real duds and some bits, which were obviously only in there to try and get a laugh, were actively annoying. Zeus was great though. 6

54. Predator
Long overdue rewatch of an absolute all-timer of an action film. There's just nothing wrong with it - it does exactly what it sets out to do and does it on all cylinders. So many quotable lines, iconic characters, big guns, proper squib action and a stupidly bombastic soundtrack. What's not to love? 10

55. The Bourne Legacy
In which Hawkeye does a Poundland Bourne with a pretty great supporting cast shoring up a paper thin plot and some half decent action sequences. Bang average. 5

56. Pig
Nicholas Cage is a hermit who lives in the forests of Oregon with his truffle locating pet pig. When someone assaults him and steals his pig, he sets out to get her back. This is not the film that you might expect it to be - but it's all the better for it. An unusually understated and great performance from Cage as a broken man who had opted out of society, but who is forced to return to old ways and wounds to find his porcine pet. 7

57. Spiderman: No Way Home
Second watch of this since I saw it at the cinema and loved it all over again - there's so much great stuff going on in it and Willam DeFoe absolutely kills it as GG - showing that he really didn't need the helmet/mask in the first Spiderfilm. The high point of recent Marcel fare. 9

58. Logan
It's the best superhero film, with great performances across the cast - Jackman is brilliant in his last turn as Wolverine, Stewart is superb as degenerating Prof X and Dafne Keen is feral and vulnerable as his daughter. A touching story of age, Parenthood and family it has some incredible action scenes that are matched by the drama surrounding it. What a film. 10

59. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Hadn't seen this in ages and my DVD had sat unwatched since I bought it maybe 8 or 9 years ago? Turns out it was actually the Directors cut, which I'd never seen before - but which somehow manages to be even better than I remember the original being. It's an absolutely stunning film - full of thrilling action scenes and stunts, some of which have yet to be bettered, and really great performances from Arnie and Linda Hamilton. 10

60. Uncharted
Ooft. I've never played any of the games, but I don't think that even if I had that it would've helped me enjoy this any more. Souless, by the numbers buddy action 'comedy' with very little in the way of decent action or comedy. Tom Holland does done nice physical action stuff in it, but it's almost universally dull shite. 4

61. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Well holy shit, if I haven't just watched the film of the year. Absolutely incredible in almost every way, showing a level of inventiveness, playfulness and heart that just ticked every box for me. Yeoh was predictably great in the superb action scenes, but was also wonderful as the confused, stressed laundry owner in the process of losing her put upon husband (amazing to see Data from the Goonies all grown up) and her terminally unhappy daughter (what a turn by that actress). This is a film that revels in its absurdity and fully commits to the concept of a multiverse in the way that Marvel or DC films never could. Jaw dropping at times and the more I think about it, the better it gets. 10

62. 28 Weeks Later
Only ever seen this once before and I remember being a bit underwhelmed by it, but really liked it this time. It's got a great cast, some memorable images and some horrific violence. It's not as good as the original, but it's still pretty great. 8

63. Prey
Far better than it has any right to be, this is the second best Predator film. It's a great idea setting it in 18th century America and an even better idea making the focus a Cherokee tribe. The lead is amazing (but then, having the name Amber Midthunder probably gives her a head start on being amazing) and action scenes are superb. 8

64. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Never seen this before now, but boy did it live up to its reputation. It's not that scary, it's not that explicitly violent and it has some really questionable acting - but holy fuck has it got atmosphere to spare. I wasn't prepared for just how weird, creepy and unsettling it is. Superb. 9

65. The Sound of Metal
An astonishing and committed performance from Riz Ahmed anchors this tale of a drummer and recovering addict who loses his hearing and has figure out how to live the rest of his life in silence. Incredible sound design and performances across the board. 9

66. Day Shift
Jamie Fox is a vampire hunter in LA who needs to get $10k of vamp fangs to save his family from moving to Florida. It's a horror/action/comedy that doesn't do any of those three things particularly well. There's a couple of decent action sequences, a couple of decent laughs and some half hearted gore. First half is promising, but it soon deteriorates into pretty dire shite. Special mention to the totally awful soundtrack and cinematography which makes it look like a TV movie at best. 4

67. Pontypool
Low budget Canadian horror set almost entirely in a local radio station in an old church basement during a winter storm, where it becomes clear from callers, police radio and their traffic reporter that something is going very, very wrong indeed outside. Anchored by a brilliant turn by the lead actor, it incredibly manages to offer something new and unusual to the overcrowded zombie genre - grim, original and apocalyptic. 9

68. The Void
Very low budget horror ($86k!) with strong Lovecraft and John Carpenter vibes, some superb practical effects, buckets of gore, very little plot and an unnerving atmosphere. At 91minutes you can't go wrong. 7

69. Matrix: Resurrections
So, this was fine? Didn't find it as rubbish as many seemed to have found it. Alongside the often stunning visuals and sometimes great action, there was a lot of unnecessary Basil Exposition, some nonsensical tech-gibberish and weirdly crap fight scenes. Some good meta-ideas at the start weren't really explored properly though and I was actually a bit disappointed when the full on Matrix stuff started happening. I would have preferred a film about someone with a severe mental illness trying to parse reality from fantasy. A decent, but overall pointless, way to spend too much time watching a film. 6

70. Prince of Darkness
Hadn't seen this since I had it on VHS and I remember not liking it that much. It is, though, a really great horror - a genuinely creepy atmosphere and a pervasive feeling of dread saturates it, with Carpenters superb score, some wonderfully gruey kills and effects and the brilliantly effective dreams of the future making it one of his best. 8

71. Krampus
It ought to be really fucking shite, but it's actually a proper slice of retro-80s dark horror. Really quite unexpectedly great. 7

72. The Grey Man
Action mayhem from the Russo Brothers, starring Ryan Gosling as a robotic CIA assassin who goes rogue against his corrupt handlers and Chris Evans as a marvelously unhinged psycho trying to hunt him down. I really liked this - it's derivative nonsense but it's ticks all of the right boxes for it's genre and the cast are brilliant. Evans should play more villains, he's great. 8

73. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
It's a classic. 9

74. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Went into this with very low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised - I actually preferred it to the first one. As per the first, the production design is outstanding but there's also some interesting things happening plot wise and some great performances. What would it be like if the 2 most powerful nations on earth were what we'd consider part of the 3rd world? How would the developed (ie. white) nations react? The death of Chadwick Boseman is handled in a very touching way, the action sequences are great fun and, well...Lupita Nyong'o. Damn. 8

75. The Lighthouse
Two lighthouse keepers arrive on a lonely rock off the coast of Maine at the end of the 19th century for what should be a 4 week shift. They get on each others nerves, some very, very odd stuff starts to occur and when a seemingly endless storm hits things get... weirder. I haven't stopped thinking about this film since the credits rolled last night - it's absolutely incredible. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson give two of the most committed performances I've ever seen - they are totally magnetic from the minute they appear on screen. It's horrifying, oppressive, often hilarious, superbly written, beautifully shot and stunningly acted. What a film. 10

76. Spirited
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, told from the perspective of the ghosts. I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but it sounded like it might be fun and it kind of is, but suffers from having too many songs and some pretty clunky attempts at humour. It does have quite a few funny moments and many of the songs are pretty good (with one really outstanding sequence) but it also suffers from being a bit smug at times about how clever it thinks it is, even as some of its attempts at satire are about a subtle as a razor-wire jockstrap. Worth a watch if you like this sort of thing, but it won't be troubling top 10 Xmas films list any time soon. 6

77. The Northman
Robert Eggers third film has Alexander Skarsgard vowing bloody vengeance on the murderer of his Viking King father. Whilst not as outstanding as The Lighthouse or The VVitch, this is a gorgeously shot, brutal and bleak story full of hairy shouting berserkers chopping bits off of each other inbetween brooding, hallucinating and all talking like Bjork. 9

78. Deadpool 2
Peak Reynolds with some very amusing stuff sitting alongside some extreme violence and choice language. Had some regrets letting my 13yo boy watch it, but it's nothing he hasn't heard before. 8

78. Home Alone
Still the best last 30 minutes of any family film. Christmas classic. 8

79. Avengers: End Game
Culmination of maybe the most ambitious series of films ever made. It's amazing that it hangs together. Love it. 9

80. Captain America: Winter Soldier
Easily the best of the Marvel movies - a tight, taut spy action-thriller with superb set pieces and with a reveal of the WS that at the time I did not see coming and totally blew me away. 9

81. The Muppets Christmas Carole
I mean, it's just the best Christmas film isn't it? Brilliantly accurate telling of the Dickens classic. 10

82. Knives Out: Glass Onion
Ludicrously brilliant cast try to out shithead each other in a fantastically written, labyrinthine who-dunnit whilst Uber-southern gentleman detective Foghorn Leghorn solves the case in a hugely entertaining manner. Loved it. 9

83. Come True
Complete mind fuck in which an insomniac girl signs up for a sleep trial, only to descend into her own mind, dreams and psychosis. Absolutely nuts. 9

84. Top Gun: Maverick
Went into this with very low expectations as I think the first one is one of the most overrated films of the 1980s. It's a bad, bad film. This though was absolutely superb - rollicking good fun with incredible aerial photography and action and enough cheese to start a fondue company. 9

85. Ghostbusters 2
Hadn't seen this since it was first released, because I didn't like it at the time as it was so obviously inferior to the original. However, this isn't as actively bad as I remember it being - there's some pretty funny stuff in there but also a fair amount of cringe, including some scenes in which Sigourney Weaver appears in various states of undress for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Very odd. Some of the music is absolutely horrific too - the worst of the 80s from terrible novelty rap to ghastly synth-soul. 6

86. Uncle Buck
"Moley Russell's wart" 8

Cos

This is the year I actually watch the stuff in my Netflix queue.

Dark Soldier

3. Palm Springs

Better than what I expected. Not twee nonsense, some great laughs. Last half hour or so went a bit too maudlin. Not bad. [6]

Verecocha

Dark Soldier wrote:

Palm Springs

Better than what I expected. Not twee nonsense, some great laughs. Last half hour or so went a bit too maudlin. Not bad. [6]

Saw that the other day, really enjoyed it, good bit of fun.

Cos

1. Tick, tick…Boom!
I didn’t know anything about this film, or Jonathan Larson, going in but I absolutely loved it. Probably a given that the music is top tier but the staging is brilliant and Garfield is just superb. A couple of other great performances but it really is his film. I’ll be watching this again for sure. [9]

2. The Power of the Dog
I pretty much agree with Goobs, though liked it less overall. Thought the first half was a bit too ponderous and second half much more engaging. [6]

3. Godzilla vs. Kong
Some great action and a few laughs but pretty much everything else was shite. Mostly wasted a great cast and there’s really no reason for these type of movies to be this dumb other than laziness. [4]

4. Shadowlands
Anthony Hopkins on great form as CS Lewis in an otherwise fairly average film. A few unexpected but welcome laughs help, however some of the supporting cast seemed wasted and the core story wasn’t all that interesting. Came together towards the end to finish on a strong note. [6]

5. Mortal Kombat (2021)
Does pretty much what you’d expect. It leans into the powers/magic a bit more which works well for the fights and allows for some fun and brutal finishes. The effects are on the schlocky end of the scale but works fine given the source material. A few of the fights are blink and you miss it though so felt a bit short changed at times. Some hammy acting and cringe dialogue but fun overall. [5]

6. Bicycle Thieves
Hard to appreciate what actually went into making this in 1948 Italy but feels like it captures the state of life for families post WWII, particularly given the cast is made up of non-actors. A simple story but with such significant consequences, it’s poignant and utterly heartbreaking at times with the kid’s performance really adding to that. [8]

7. Judy
One of those films with a realisation of ‘x really can act!’ which is sometimes a bit odd. Zellweger is great though and the film uses flashbacks sparingly to provide some context for Judy’s current status. It’s an interesting story but the film felt a little by the numbers at times and rushing through key points. Still, the central performance is enough to hold attention just a shame the rest isn’t up to the same level. [7]

8. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Thoroughly enjoyed this overall despite a few minor grumbles throughout. Another film in need of trimming 20 mins or so and there was an overly sentimental tone at times - too many lingering close ups with mawkish music.

The rest was a blast though and I found myself grinning through most of it and enjoying all the nods to previous films. [8]

9. Another Round
What a superb film. Even with all the praise I've heard, it still came as a pleasant surprise just how good it was. Mads is brilliant but the other three teachers were all great. It hit really hard at a few points but balanced so well with the lighter moments. A must watch. [9]

10. Judy & Punch
An interesting concept but poorly executed. The actual story is paper thin and very little actually happened in 105 minutes. Throw in a couple of terrible accents (completely unnecessary too), poor production values and plot points that don't go anywhere. There were 2 or 3 darkly funny moments early on that were encouraging but never lives up to that promise. Herriman is having fun hamming it up but Wasikowska is doing the bare minimum. Probably would have been a good short but this is a mash up of half baked ideas that never come together. [4]

11. Caché
For some reason I'd expected this to be a fast paced thriller but it turned out to be a real slow burner, both in style and story. Lots of lingering shots and small details exposed sparingly. It ratchets up the tension and uses that incredibly effectively throughout, almost becomes unbearable at times. A really pleasant surprise. [7]

12. Nobody
The John Wick comparisons are probably inescapable but there's a streak of dark humour in this that does enough to set it apart. Odenkirk being an unexpected protagonist certainly adds to that but the execution of the fights and stunt work is pretty flawless throughout - the bus fight a standout for me. Overall, bloody great fun. [8]

13. The Toll
Low budget modern Western interpretation - West Wales in this case. Bit of a mixed bag, there are some great characters but the level of performances don't always match those (maybe some amateur actors?) so it's left to Smiley to do most of the heavy lifting and it carries the film for the most part. It's very clever, lots of subtle genre references and some hearty laughs but the finale of overlapping stories doesn't quite bring it all together. [5]

14. Ed Wood
An odd but interesting number (Burton so maybe a given) that I mostly enjoyed but a few things didn't quite sit right. Mostly it was Depp's performance which almost feels like he's in a different film. It actually reminded most of his Willy Wonka role, similar creepy vibe but felt out of place at times. On the other hand, Landau was superb and would've been keen to see a version with him as the focus. [6]

15. The Remains of the Day
There's great support, both in cast and setting, but this is all about Hopkins. A powerful performance as a man who has spent his life putting duty above everything. The backdrop provides perfect context for Hopkins' inner turmoil and it's a heartbreaking watch but well worth it. [8]

16. Once Upon a Time in America
Well that was a disappointment. Given the reputation I was looking forward to this but what I got was an incredibly dull look at the lives of some low level gangsters. All the interesting stuff was in the background and almost glossed over whilst we get ponderous shots of characters doing nothing, or 5 minutes of a kid eating a cream cake. Given the mammoth running time, there was surprisingly little character development and the flitting between time periods didn't help. It takes more than running time to make a film an epic.

There was a creepy focus on underage girls in the first hour and the continued sexual violence seemed entirely unnecessary. Coupled with awful dialogue almost any time a woman was on screen, there's a really uncomfortable undertone.

Another thing that really stood out was the lack of evolution in technique from Leone's earlier work. Arguably it's a style but felt more like he was stuck in the past. The overdubbing in some scenes was laughable too. And those fucking pan pipes! Massively underwhelming, nonsensical at points. What a terrible waste of time. [3]

17. CODA
Heartwarming story about a girl that’s the only hearing person in a deaf family who embraces her love of music. It’s a bit formulaic but that doesn’t take away from how wonderful it is, giving insight into a different family dynamic and was genuinely quite emotionally affecting. Throw in a few hearty laughs and it makes for a real crowd pleaser. [8]

18. The Lost Daughter
So many ‘that guy/gal’ faces in this almost distracted from a wonderful film. It simultaneously manages to carry an air of menace but also an ethereal quality throughout as time periods slip in and out, teasing details and possibilities. Colman is superb (as always seems to be the case) and I’m definitely keen to see what Maggie Gyllenhaal does next. [8]

19. Pig
I obviously didn’t read/remember Moot’s comments because I was also expecting a Wick style one man rampage. I’m also glad it didn’t go that route and instead seems to delight in doing the opposite of what is expected at most points. It’s some of the best of Cage, several great scenes but the restaurant in particular was brilliant. [8]

20. MacGruber
A MacGuyver spoof (from 2010) based on an SNL character. It's quite an odd thing, partly because a noticeable number of jokes have aged terribly but it's also very uneven in tone. There were still a few great laugh out loud moments which is all you need when it's a sketch but it's a bit too barren as a film. I did notice it's recently been revived as a TV show so might give that a go and see if it improves the ratio. [4]

21. The French Dispatch
Enjoyed this overall but probably one of the more uneven Anderson films. Of the three main stories, the first stood out as best by quite some way. Benicio on great form. The second was interesting but less engaging (my wife fell asleep at that point) and the third pulled things back somewhat. It also felt like it was bordering on self-parody at times (perhaps intentionally if you're feeling generous) but I unashamedly lapped it up. Some may argue it's style over substance but even if it was, when the style is this good it's bonkers to ignore it. [7]

22. Jackass Forever
Does it exactly what you expect, albeit with some new faces to take a share of the hits. It was great fun and they're still plenty inventive when it comes to the stunts. Age is obviously a factor now and the new guys don't quite work, plus Dunn and Bam are definitely missed so it's a few steps down from the earlier films. Still, loved seeing the remaining crew and it's by far the most I've laughed in quite some time. [7]

23. Paris, Texas This didn’t quite work for me. At times it’s a stunning looking film and there’s a collection of great scenes but overall found it too slow and lacking in structure. Struggled to stay engaged towards the end even with the final scene being loaded with revelations. Loved the soundtrack though. [5]

24. The Tender Bar I didn't know anything about this going and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I'm finding it slightly hard to say exactly what I liked about it so much, I think it was just a really fun and easy going film which doesn't seem that common. Affleck is on great form and is the heart of the film even thought it's not his story. Several great supporting turns help and also that the plot (which is minimal to be fair) doesn't always go where I expected it to, which would have been the route of Hollywood cliche. Funny, heartwarming and an all around good time. [8]

25. The Batman A solid, overall enjoyable outing for the bat but with some sizeable flaws. It was at least 45 mins too long, it didn't really need Catwoman (and it was a pretty flat interpretation of the character) plus there were 'twists' you could see coming a mile off. The final set piece also felt massively out of place and unnecessary. Thankfully it did a lot well, Dano and an unrecognisable Farrell were great whilst Pattinson did a good line in unsure vigilante. The gritty interpretation and aesthetic worked for the most part, and it was a superb looking film for the most part. Some really impressive looking scenes and technical work definitely helped to keep me engaged. It was more disappointing than bad as the evidence was there for a much better version. [6]

26. The Constant Gardener A rather odd experience. The first half hour or so was a blur that seemed intentionally difficult to penetrate. The plot eventually picks up but is largely understated to the point I barely felt invested. The whole thing isn’t helped by being filmed as if it was Taken - lots of shaky cam and fast cuts, even when it’s just two people talking in a room. Very jarring. [4]

27. The Adam Project Pretty much agree with Grem. An enjoyable, fast paced adventure with plenty of laughs. It doesn’t try too hard to explain any of the time travel elements, rightly so given the type of film, but there’s a bit of nonsense and sub plots that get dropped along the way. The de-aged Catherine Keener at the end looked absolute garbage too. Still, Reynolds and his younger version make the film and most of the other action looks great. [7]

28. A Silent Voice An intense anime about a high school kid trying to make amends for bullying a classmate years earlier. The actions of the bullies are a rough watch at points, kids can be so cruel, but this touches on the impacts of all those involved - victim, bullies, families and bystanders. It’s really well done and thoroughly engrossing, and particularly effective at examining isolation and forgiveness. Even had me shedding a few tears at the end. [8]

29. Frozen It’s quite strange finally watching a film that’s been everywhere and realising how little I actually knew about it. I assumed it was Elsa’s story for a start but it’s Anna’s and it works all the better for it. Felt like it lacked something though (stronger villain maybe?) and there were several forgettable set pieces. Overall its still plenty of fun, some good laughs and even takes a couple of unexpected turns towards the end. [6]

30. Turning Red It’s not top tier Pixar but even so there’s plenty to enjoy. Lots of well observed touches throughout and well rounded characters. It was a bit overlong and the final third was a bit dry of laughs but there were plenty of brilliantly funny moments and heart in the film overall to make it a worthwhile watch. Looks fantastic too, of course. [7]

31. Lady Vengeance It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mr Vengeance and Old Boy but this felt noticeably weaker. There were still enough surprises and great moments to lift it but think it sagged a bit in the middle. That final section though… absolutely devastating at points, what a finish. [7]

32. The New Girlfriend An interesting drama about sexuality but despite two strong central performances, the film doesn’t really work. It seems unsure where it’s going at times and some of the themes are handled in a very clumsy way. The ending was probably the worst part, glad it was over. [4]

33. Force Majeure This is one of the most awkward/painful films I've seen in a long time. Family drama ensues on a ski holiday when the dad doesn't react in the expected manner in a critical moment. The tension builds following that as the couple don't fully address it and it starts to affect others close to them. There's one scene in particular where they are discussing the incident with friends and the second hand cringe was almost overwhelming. There's a spot of dark humour, though not enough to act as a release. Generally it's engaging but emotionally exhausting. [6]

34. The Lighthouse I doubt I have much original to say about this but so glad I watched it as initially wasn't sure it would be up my street. It feels like an acting battle at times, Defoe and Pattinson are both superb and watching them unravel is mesmerising. Incredibly well shot and dripping with atmosphere, great stuff. [8]

35. Death on the Nile Mostly enjoyable but with a sizeable slice of murder mystery by numbers. Branagh is still the best thing in it and most of the rest of the cast are solid, though with so many accents going on it's inevitable that some are on shaky ground. It won't live long in the memory but it's fun and doesn't outstay it's welcome. [6]

36. The Last Black Man in San Francisco A slow burner, essentially about the gentrification of neighbourhoods forcing out residents but actual story is pretty thin so doesn't dig too deep into that issue. It is however a stunning looking film, beautifully shot and there are a few powerful scenes dotted throughout. Ultimately felt like it was missing something to elevate it but there's enough positives, including great performances, to make it worth a watch. [7]

37. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things Another time loop comedy where guy and girl find they are both stuck in the loop. It's much more standard romcom fare but the leads are likeable, there's fairly consistent laughs and it keeps to a pretty trim run time. It probably suffers from the far superior Palm Springs being fresh in the memory but even that aside, the ending was weak and overly schmaltzy. Enjoyable but forgettable. [6]

38. Boiling Point Technically impressive, Stephen Graham is great and some solid support but overall it was simply good. The big thing was so overly telegraphed that it diminished the impact and it didn't really stick the ending for me. An interesting film more than a memorable one. [6]

39. Sonic the Hedgehog Daft but fun would be a fair summary. Even by kids' film standards there's some lazy writing - the whole escape in the truck section was trash even if the highway sequence looked great. Anyway, Sonic is cool and funny, and Carrey does some solid villain work with a spot of classic gurning. [5]

40. Ninjababy I knew very little about this going in but that worked out really well. A funny, touching and frank film about a woman finding herself unexpectedly pregnant. It covers several themes with characters who (mostly) feel grounded and genuinue, and doesn't make the mistake of being preachy or overly sentimental. Some great laughs along the way and a few surprising but effective touches. Lovely stuff. [8]

41. A Single Man An incredible performance by Colin Firth in a stunningly beautiful film. Heartbreaking to watch his loss and there isn't a wasted look or gesture. A few small parts where it felt a bit 'loose' given the tight running time and I just didn't like the ending, but that could just be me. Worth watching for Firth alone still. [7]

42. Operation Mincemeat
Disappointing. It started out strong but seemed to get worse the longer it went on. The most annoying part was they had a great story about this operation but the film-makers felt they needed to almost drown it in a nonsense romantic sub plot that took up large chunks of the film. When things started to happen, some of the most interesting parts were reduced to a series of sharp scenes that practically erased any notion of tension or intrigue. There were a couple of other storylines that went nowhere and they generally fumbled a promising start. Read about it on wikipedia instead. [4]

43. Pain and Glory
Absorbing drama about a movie director reflecting on his life and mostly house bound due to health issues. I should really watch more of Almodovar's work as the 4 or 5 films I've seen have all been wonderful. This isn't up there with the best of those but it's close - Banderas is fantastic, it looks beautiful and the music is superb. Loved everything about it! [8]

44. The Northman
Elf and Shabs have summed it up well enough. Intense and visceral, the animalistic theme throughout was well realised and the sound design was incredible when really cranked up. It's very well shot, helped by stunning locations of course. Skarsgard and Kidman were both on top form but ultimately I didn't feel all that engaged with Amleth's journey in parts, though thankfully ended on a strong note. [7]

45. Legend (1985)
Somehow I never saw this as a kid so I don't have any nostalgic ties to it. Thought it was fine overall. Looking back it certainly suffers from other fantasy films at the time being on a bigger scale or perhaps having more budget. Apart from Tim Curry's demon (which still looks impressive, go practical effects) the rest of it looked quite bland and it felt like not much actually happened. A few good moments but a lower quality effort from Ridley. [4]

46. Adult Life Skills
Comedy drama about a woman struggling to deal with the death of her twin as she approaches her 30th birthday. Another pretty average effort, not funny enough to support the paper thin story and not enough depth on the dramatic side to make up for the sparse laughs. There were a few laugh out loud moments but mostly it hits every beat you'd expect and doesn't do anything original. A pleasant enough watch. [5]

47. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
A mixed bag of highs and lows. It starts off pretty strong and there are some great scenes and sequences in the first half but then seems like it dries up, turning into a pretty average buddy film. Tin summed up the self referential aspects pretty well and I have to guess they're aiming for some meta commentary but it's wide of the mark so ultimately feels like a 'what could have been' experience.

The big plus point for me was it has one of the funniest sequences I've seen in a good while. It's just a shame that felt a bit isolated in the context of the rest of the film, though overall I'd still say it's fun and worth watching. [7]

48. Dolemite is My Name
An interesting story I knew nothing about with great performances from Murphy and Wesley Snipes. Felt a bit slow in the middle but thankfully picked up again towards the end. Nothing special but perfectly entertaining. [6]

49. Boiling Point (1990)
Possibly the oddest Takeshi Kitano film I've seen so far. There are some good laughs throughout but there's minimal plot and dialogue so found it difficult to engage at times. It goes off on a crazy tangent in the final third and overall felt a bit too 'loose'. The type of film might be more interesting to analyse than enjoy. [5]

50. High Life
Slow paced, thoughtful sci-fi. Adored pretty much everything about this, particularly the aesthetic and soundtrack. Pattinson really is a fine actor, well supported by Binoche and others here but it's his film at heart. One of those films I'm looking forward to rewatching and will be telling anyone who'll listen to check it out. [9]

51. The Equalizer 2
Too long, lazy writing and barely coherent. There is so much crammed into this film yet barely any of it is interesting or relevant to what little plot there is. Feels like the merging of ideas from several scripts. Denzel is watchable as ever but even he's sleepwalking through this one. Avoid. [3]

52. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
A lot going on in this, almost to the point of excess at times but overall it was thoroughly enjoyable. The multiverse stuff was generally pretty well executed, set pieces didn't disappoint (a couple of really strong sequences) and the uber-nerd in me loved all the little references. Run time could've been trimmed a bit, though stops short of feeling overlong. The level of violence/creepiness was unexpected and definitely wouldn't recommend for kids. It does seem they let Raimi do his thing - spotting some of his trademark touches throughout was fun. Not top tier marvel but another impressive entry. [7]

53. Drive My Car
A leisurely paced but engrossing drama about a theatre actor/director dealing with the death of his wife. I'd heard positive reviews of this and it really didn't disappoint. I was surprised to see the 3 hour run time when I started it but pretty much every minute is well used and it never felt like a slog. The intimate view of the characters' lives is as gripping as any thriller at points, with the growing bond between driver and passenger revealing more about their history and motivations. Elements of Murkami's short story are clear but have been well expanded upon to deliver an exceptional film. [9]

54. Oslo, August 31st
A day in the life of a recovering addict on release from his rehab programme. The film follows as he meets old friends, attends a job interview and wrestles with what's next in his life. I loved the minimalist nature of this, one of those films where interactions feel very natural and the camera lingers on aspects of everyday life. It has a bleak vibe but hinting at hope and certainly carries an air of authenticity. Powerful stuff. [8]

55. Norwegian Wood
A so-so adaptation of the book. Didn't really capture the right spirit, though that is an admittedly difficult thing to do. The lead actors were decent enough but a couple were not particularly likeable which I'm not sure was the intention. Some fabulous scenery and cinematography helped, and there were moments of real intensity even if occasionally tainted by terrible music. If you like the book, I probably wouldn't bother with this. [5]

56. Meek’s Cutoff
The sense of impending doom is all consuming in this slow paced western but ultimately it was too plodding to really keep me interested despite being wonderfully shot. [5]

57. Everything Everywhere All at Once
I managed to avoid most of the detail about this going in and so glad I did. I loved pretty much everything about it. Excellent performances all round, full of style and clever flourishes, technically accomplished and bloody funny to boot. It's got real heart too and managed what could have been overly saccharine elements with just the right balance. A few moments towards the end really hit me but admittedly partly because they were reminders of things going on in my own life. I always find that a mark of a great film. A wonderful experience. [9]

58. Downton Abbey: A New Era
More of the same would've been a better title. If you like Downton, you'll likely enjoy it. The French villa is a nothing storyline even by these standards and it unravels previous happy endings to create more drama, which is a pet peeve of mine for these type of films. Still, the cast are great as always and there are some good laughs. A few more stories get wrapped up and I'm sure fans will appreciate that. [6]

59. Paddington 2
A wonderful family movie. Plenty of top laughs, heartwarming without being too soppy and some fantastic set pieces. A good example of 'chuck a load of great actors in for small roles' too as they all play their bits really well. It drags a little in the second half when the laugh rate drops for a spell but picks up to end on a strong note. [8]

djchump

Dark Soldier wrote:

Death at a Funeral

The English original. Second watch. Great slapstick comedy in there with some stellar talent. Still love it. [8]

Dinklage and Tudyk are always fantastic.

ShabbyMcCrabby

Saw that in the cinema with a packed crowd. No idea why my home town folk had an interest in it as they usually didn't go for anything off the beaten path (should have heard the comments during the credits of No country For Old Men after the Oscars told them they should watch it) but it was a great one to watch with a full house.

It's a real shame nobody seems to make comedies like that anymore. Ones that are designed to actually make you laugh and not just have a wry smile or a chuckle like most modern American fodder.

poprock

The Harder They Fall
Fun, lightweight western. Idris Elba is weirdly wooden and ends up the least charismatic person on screen, which was a surprise.

hylian_elf

And off I go…

1. Smiles of a Summer Night - 1/1
So I’ve decided to start my Ingmar Bergman run in order of how the movies are arranged in the Criterion Collection boxset. Easier to track that way.

A comic tale of love triangles between the faithful and the unfaithful, culminating in a resolution at a Midsummer’s Night party. Great to watch and I’ve already noticed the sub-theme of losing faith in religion, something that I had read runs through quite a few of Bergman’s films - a reflection on his own loss of faith at a young age. Looking forward to seeing the rest of his work. 1 down, 38 to go (or 39 more if counting Fanny and Alexander twice).
[8]

Wookienopants

Don't Look Up

Well that was both depressingly hilarious and hilariously depressing. Great cast and some top tier satire.

b0r1s

So the first day of the year I managed to squeeze in three films. None of them bangers but entertaining in their own way.

1. Kong - Skull Island nice idea, absolutely solid cast and great FX all let down by the most idiotic scripts I’ve had to sit through [4].

2. The Terminal on the face of it a simple rom-com actually isn’t about that at all, but an emotional centre around family and memories perfectly portrayed by the amazing Hanks on top form as a man displaced from his home. Yes, it’s very sentimental in places, but it works due to the performances [8].

2. Law Abiding Citizen not at all what I was expecting. Gerrard Butler vs Jamie Fox as a man out for revenge. The first half is actually intriguing but by the second half it has jumped the shark so much it spoilt what could have been a great film. Show some restraint Hollywood [6].

Dark Soldier

4. Sweat (dir: Magnus von Horn, 2020)

Drama based around a fictional social fitness 'influencer' and the issues that can arise from this. Primarily looking at loneliness, and a search for her place in the world. Does an exceptional job at inviting empathy and understanding with the subject, rather than some sneering, mock-doc twattishness which I'd usually expect. Highlights that despite the potential wealth, and fame that can come from this, that it can be immensely hollow and, at times, pretty fucking terrifying. One early scene in-particular captures this. A specific video goes viral, and the shit this entails leads to a fascinating watch. Kolesnik as the lead is fucking amazing. [8]

5. The Humans (dir: Stephen Karam, 2021)

A perfect embodiment of the A24 textbook, and as such almost a perfect embodiment of what I want from a film. Slow burning family drama, several generations all meeting at a daughter's new home to share lunch/dinner and to catch up, and as is always the case, things turn sour. Karam's first film as director and it is based off of his own play, which shows in the structure and flow of the film itself. Long lingering shots, out of focus, disorientating. It manages something which I find to be fascinating and I've rarely seen before - it turns the slowburn arthouse drama into a borderline horror film at times. Something which Cache and quite a lot of Haneke's work manages. Primarily done via sound (eerie bumps in the night, heavy footsteps from neighbours upstairs and a couple of 'jumpscare' moments which are really well done) mixed with a use of both light and dark as visual metaphor and mood piece. There is another visual metaphor that runs throughout which I found a bit heavy handed and is used way too often, but that's really the only slight I can give this. If the mood, atmosphere and creepy disjointedness of the whole thing doesn't grip you, you'll no doubt be bored shitless. Great performances by all concerned, especially Richard Jenkins and Amy Schumer. Will be on my list come end of year of topboy films innit. [9]

regmcfly

I watched 6 movies last year let's fucking go

Dark Soldier

regmcfly wrote:

I watched 6 movies last year let's fucking go

Am watching my 7th now come on reg you were a movie don

ShabbyMcCrabby

Glad you're joining in this year DS, your list is gonna be lit by the end. Humans sounds great, will definitely check it out

Not sure if you're keeping a full list elsewhere but it can be handy to edit your first post and put everything there too so you have a full list by the end.

Dark Soldier

Top idea. I'll get that done shortly.

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