I like watching movies
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllPinned reviews
More-
Pig 2021
I wrote about my favorite 21 movies of 2021, grouping them into thematic trios on my website — read the full article here! Pig moved me more than any other film this year, so it’s firmly held the #1 spot since I saw it in July. And here’s my roughly-ranked list of the same movies, plus a few more. Thanks to everyone who read my work this year — it’s been a wild ride and I’m excited to see what 2022 has in store
-
The Lion King 1994
Over the last several months, my brother and I rewatched every Walt Disney Animation Studios movie in chronological order. I ranked them all to celebrate Raya’s release.
Read my full article here! And let me know your personal faves in the comments!
Recent reviews
More-
Lincoln 2012
A good movie that would be a great one if John Williams chilled out a little bit. It features some of the strongest dramatic performances of Spielberg’s filmography — Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, and Sally Field all give commanding, theatrical performances that hinge on indulgent monologues, while a murderer’s row of character actors line up for tiny parts to mostly look on the core actors with awe. All the performances would seem even stronger, though, if the score didn’t…
-
War Horse 2011
A staggering accomplishment to take two fast-paced subjects that are inherently exciting and cinematic — war, horse — and somehow make the slowest, gentlest movie of your career. The shots are solidly composed but often blocked in a more basic, unenergetic fashion than Spielberg normally utilizes, and the performances are almost exclusively one-note. There’s a handful of powerful moments scattered throughout — the bolt cutters, the Cumberbatch/Hiddleston charge, and the ending — but there’s a ton of logistical business in between that makes it all drag a bit.
Popular reviews
More-
Do the Right Thing 1989
If you don’t think Sal is a racist, you should probably rewatch this movie. His climactic use of racial slurs can’t be chalked up to a lapse of judgement. He repeatedly clarifies that he only tolerates black people because they haven’t done anything bad to him, and because they provide his livelihood. His respect for the black community is entirely conditional and transaction-based — as soon as his “terms” of respect (essentially not having any major negative encounters with any…
-
The New Mutants 2020
Despite a great cast and an intriguing premise, The New Mutants is a lifeless gallery of clichés from both the superhero and horror genres. Combine It and X-Men, then strip that combination of anything remotely worthwhile, and you get this movie. The paper-thin characters don’t even have interesting powers, save for Anya Taylor-Joy’s Magik, who has a strange combination of several abilities that make absolutely no sense together. And there’s basically no story to speak of. Nothing happens for 90 minutes and…
