Letterboxd — Your life in film

Silent Night proves just because you can make a movie with no dialogue, doesn’t mean you should. The story is just so generic, and the fact that there’s no dialogue makes the first two thirds tough to get through. Once the action starts happening, it becomes entertaining. But I don’t think it’s entertaining enough to make up for the rest of the movie. Overall, this wasn’t the comeback that I hoped for for John Woo. It’s not bad, but the gimmick of no dialogue just doesn’t work here.

Family Switch has a lot of heart but lackluster humor. I love dumb humor, but gosh this film just goes way over the line. It’s too stupid, as I was rolling my eyes more often than laughing. There were moments where I did laugh, but not enough. The performances were decent enough though. Overall, I didn’t care for this. There were moments but it just didn’t work.

It’s a Wonderful Knife is a flawed but fun slasher. The film mostly works due to the chemistry between Jane Widdop and Jess McLeod. Their relationship at the heart of the film was very sweet. As a slasher, it’s fine. It takes a bit to get going and there are some plot holes but it still entertains more than it doesn’t. Overall, I liked this. It has its issues but the performances and the film’s heart make up for them.

Candy Cane Lane is a super generic Christmas movie. Eddie Murphy tries his best to keep things afloat, as does Tracee Ellis Ross. But the plot is just not interesting. Jillian Bell was awful as the villain, and every scene she was in was truly terrible. There’s heart here of course but that’s every Christmas movie. Overall, this wasn’t worth the watch. Eddie Murphy is a lot better than this.

Freelance is embarrassingly bad. John Cena and Alison Brie are so much better than this. Why are they in this awful movie. The comedy falls flat and the action is poorly made. The story tries to have a message but it comes off weirdly pro dictatorship. Honestly nothing worked in this movie. Overall, this was trash. Definitely one of the worst of the year. Don’t bother with this.

American Symphony is a fine documentary. Jon Batiste is an interesting subject, and I like how the film juxtaposed his relationship with his work. It’s a pretty well made film, but it did leave me wanting a bit more. I don’t know, I just felt a tad underwhelmed. Still, the film did keep my interest. Overall, I liked this. It could’ve been better but it’s still worth the watch.

Earth Mama is a sensitive drama that works very well. Tia Nomore is absolutely great here. The film is stunning to look at. The story feels realistic and keeps you engaged in the protagonist’s journey. Sure, it’s not a very complex film and sometimes takes the simplest route. But it’s done with a lot of heart. Overall, this was a strong directorial debut. I look forward to whatever Savannah Leaf does next.

Sweet Dreams mostly runs on vibes, but honestly I was ok with it. I loved the look of the film and the hypnotic score. The character interactions were entertaining to watch, even if I wasn’t super invested in the story. Overall, this was a pretty unique and strange film. I went in blind, and ended up liking it more than I expected to. Make sure to give this one a watch.

A strange ode to garlic that worked more than it didn’t. The short runtime really works in its favor, because I don’t think the film could’ve sustained any more momentum. Probably doesn’t help that I’m not a huge garlic person.

American Fiction is a very enjoyable comedy drama. Jeffrey Wright is great here. Sterling K. Brown also shines in his role. The film balances drama and satire very well. The script is smart, with many funny moments throughout. The family drama isn’t anything new but it’s also done very well. The film is very well paced and goes by pretty fast. I do wish the film didn’t play it as safe as it did, but it’s hard to complain when your just so entertained. Overall, I really enjoyed this. It isn’t perfect but it’s just such a likable movie.

Yes, the film is technically very well made. But I’m sorry, this was so boring. The filmmakers were just showing off with this runtime. The story did not warrant a 3+ hour runtime at all. A lot of people love this one, and perhaps you will too. But this just didn’t do anything for me.