• The Big Short

    The Big Short

    ★★★½

    I get why this movie gets flack for its editorial decisions. It's fun to imagine that it's a documentary of a story that didn't _exactly_ happen. Overall though the pacing and some creative directorial and choices keep it a fun, high-octane, infuriating watch.

  • No Sudden Move

    No Sudden Move

    ★½

    Saw this ages ago, and remembered so when it showed up on a list of movies for a flight and I looked it up wondering “what is this?”

    Utterly forgettable

  • After Yang

    After Yang

    ★★★½

    “What’s so great about being human?”

  • The Menu

    The Menu

    ★★★★

    Some things just plain don’t make sense but who the fuck cares?

    This movie is joyous and biting. It takes no prisoners. Like all of Mylod’s best work everyone’s just having a blast making theater and I just ate it all up. 

    Go in the theater if you can, lots of laughs with this one.

  • Decision to Leave

    Decision to Leave

    ★★★½

    As a story the romance shines brighter than the intrigue but this is still a joy to watch. Does a lot with its camera play that I’m not sure I’ve seen before, and it’s perfectly suited to the genre and story. 

    The performances are great! The lighting and visual flair is great! The pacing is.. okay 🫠

    Still, I’d love to see this again.

  • The Banshees of Inisherin

    The Banshees of Inisherin

    ★★★★½

    This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

    The movie sets up Mrs. McCormick as an obvious banshee, but I think lots of folks on Inisherin sit back and watch this small-scale civil war play out without interfering. 

    As someone who let go of a best friend with whom I shared a very insular, very norm-focused community, this movie hit super hard for me.

  • 3 Women

    3 Women

    ★★★½

    This clears the bar for me regarding immersion: I was on the edge of my

  • Irma Vep

    Irma Vep

    ★★★★

    A perfect example of the way film can just draw you into a world that you never inhabited before. 

    In a year where I saw too many 3-hour-cuts, Irma Vep stood out with its simple and exuberant immersion. 

    Maggie Chung is a powerhouse, and the ending, of course, gets a lot of mention but I think this whole thing is a treat.

  • Mass

    Mass

    ★★★★½

    I went into this movie knowing nothing and was hit face-first with a sack of emotions. 

    A beautiful, simple movie about meaning making and conflict. There is no flash here, just muted (and brilliant) editing and direction making the crisp writing and acting stand out.

    The movie captures so many emotions, but what stood out to me was the realistic way it engages with transcendence: these moments of humanity are often as fleeting as they are powerful. And Mass doesn’t…

  • Bodies Bodies Bodies

    Bodies Bodies Bodies

    ★★★½

    This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

    as someone navigating sobriety, one thing that stands out to me about Bodies Bodies Bodies is that Sophie, while sober on alcohol and cocaine, is still haunted by addiction. 

    The movie opens with what feels like a sweet, romantic scene between Sophie and Bee, but what stood out to me immediately is how quickly Sophie goes to Bee’s crotch. “I need you.” Later, when it’s revealed that Sophie and Jordan hooked up, and that it was initiated by Sophie, it…

  • Barton Fink

    Barton Fink

    ★★★★

    I perenially find myself a sucker for slow-burn, fish-out-of-water, hollywood-set movies. Don't expect this to be fun

  • RRR

    RRR

    ★★★★★

    Vande Mataram