I have such a mixed reaction to this movie! HERE'S A (VERY) LONG REVIEW EXORCISING MY FEELINGS.
THINGS I LOVED:
I feel like it's the first time in a long time I've felt fully immersed in an entire world - there are not enough words to describe how surreal watching this felt because I felt like I was actually THERE engulfed in city smog or a radioactive dust storm or struggling to stay afloat on the shelf of a sea…
CLOWN STAND BY ME WAS SO FUN AND I'M LOVING THE 80s TUBE SOCK REVIVAL HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. At one point the movie kind of just turned into a slideshow of Goosebumps-esque badly CGI'd horror but I'm a huge baby so I was grateful for this. The stuff that doesn't work also gets anchored by the truly great kids at the heart of the film – I love cathartic group hugs of friendship so much. Also, I would DIE for the kid with the two fanny packs.
I watched this again as part of a queer film festival. Before the screening, the organizer was so happy he could barely speak, he just blubbered for a while before yelling: "A BEAUTIFUL QUEER FILM ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE WON BEST PICTURE!!!!" and 800 people cheered. Anyway, that was pretty much the best feeling in the world.
DO YOU EVER WATCH A MOVIE SO BEAUTIFUL & SENSUAL THAT YOU LEAVE THE CINEMA RED-FACED & DESPONDENT BECAUSE U CAN'T WATCH IT AGAIN IMMEDIATELY??? More accurately, do you ever watch a movie that makes you want to impulsively buy a plane ticket to Northern Italy, sink into a bathtub with a glass of pinot noir and weep gentle tears until Armie Hammer comes along - complete in billowy blue shirt and booty shorts - to wipe them away, and promise that…
