Josh's Ultimate 2022 Movie Ranking!

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Josh's Ultimate 2022 Movie Ranking!, Ranking all 141 of the '22 films that I saw

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Josh! View member profile	12th January 2023, 01:30 PM Post #41
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	QUOTE(Tafty³³³ @ Jan 12 2023, 11:59 AM) I'm still kinda shook at how much of a surprise 'Chip 'n Dale' is! Lmao. SO much fun! Loved all of the inter promotional references and Ugly Sonic was the best! Lmao! 'Scream' so much lower for you than it is for me though! But I'm not sure we "rate" it too differently. This year was a very solid year for movies overall. But I loved 'Scream' so much and it's my favourite in the franchise since the first one! SOOOOO good! 'Black Phone' was a major surprise for me too. A different kind of horror to what I was expecting, but it worked! Hiya again!! These films are getting harder and harder to split up now so I'm splitting hairs for most of them. I can't believe how quickly they fast-tracked a Scream 6 but I'm really looking forward to that coming out very shortly too. Black Phone was brill and I was glad to see it be rather successful for a horror. I hope in a way that it's one of those that can spawn a few sequels, as long as Derrickson's back on board that is. Hawke suits horror so well! Thank ya x


Josh! View member profile	12th January 2023, 01:51 PM Post #42
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	39. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness directed by: Sam Raimi starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams TOO MANY SPOILERS AHEAD I feel like this was a bit of a mixed bag when it should have been a slam dunk. I think my hype was just so sky high after Wandavision and the rumours surrounding this that I can't help but be a bit disappointed with the final product. On the good side, Wanda absolutely ate. Every line she had was instantly iconic to be honest. I loved this newfound confidence and arrogance to her attitude and she seemed more powerful than ever. The way she use the Illuminati's own powers against them to whittle them down one by one with easy!! I was gobsmacked. There was so much genuine hurt and emotion when she was scaring her kids at the end, phwoar. I'm glad the costume was so heavily featured too because it looked flawless. They're going to sell so many Wanda headpieces for Halloween forever, lol. Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is a great character too and I think he has great comedic timing. He pretty much single-handedly delivered all the good jokes in the film. It was nice to see multiverse Christine have a bit more to do too and her make-over was a bit of a serve. America Chavez was just OK but her stars looked cool. I also liked that it took a unique take on Marvel that we're yet to see in the MCU by introducing horror elements. I appreciate that it did something new and it worked for me half of the time. Black Bolt's death with the mouth being sewn shut was totally disturbing and probably my favourite little moment. I loved Wanda coming through the reflection all disfigured as well - that seemed as though it was ripped straight from the horror genre. BUT... other times it just totally didn't work and felt a bit cringe. Some of the jump scares felt cheap and C-list horror level quality. The zombie Strange with the deep gruff voice was just completely cheesy too. Saying that, my least favourite thing was the musical note fight. It just made no sense and seemed to come out of nowhere which completely took me out of the movie. I literally sat back and wondered for a second what I was watching and why on earth they were throwing crotchets and minims at each other? It was just too ambitious as an action scene and ended up making no sense to a large part of the audience. For a film that teased cameos so much, there were so many missed opportunities too. Where were Shang-Chi and Awkwafina after they left with Wong at the end of that movie? Did all that just happen off-screen and they've gone back to being valets now, lmao!? Also, no Vision in any of the multiverses?! Really?! On re-watch, I can concur that is still a mixed bag when it should've been a slam dunk... and I think that's where it failed more than anything. Now that the initial disappointment has died down, I did enjoy this viewing more than first time round. One thing I would say is that at least the musical note fight does look and sound cool even if it still makes no sense. I was too busy hating on it originally to appreciate the better things about that sequence, lol. The Illuminati cameos remain totally awesome and I could appreciate them a bit more this time without the gasps from the rest of the cinema audience. Saying that, my little sister was shook when Captain Carter was sliced in half, lmao. 38. Don't Worry Darling directed by: Olivia Wilde starring: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Chris Pine This felt very Wandavision to me, and that’s a good thing considering that is my favourite MCU show to date. I didn’t know it was going to go down that route so I quite enjoyed the twist of the simultaneous real and virtual lives. It truly is Florence Pugh’s world and we’re all living in it. I’m so happy to see her star continue to rise and she’s able to showcase her talents in roles like this. She’s got to be one of the best cry actors out there so thankfully she was written so many cry acting scenes, lmao. Olivia Wilde did a solid job of building the tension and focusing on some of the more horror elements. That visual where Alice peers over the hilltop and sees the red boiler suit men climbing the face of it was sickness inducing. I also felt so unnerved in the scene where Jack kept saying “I’m sorry” repeatedly as Alice was dragged away kicking and screaming. Sure, there were some amateur acting moments from Harry Styles but I thought he delivered that moment perfectly. I was ill just thinking about what would happen to Alice next. I can see what the film was going for but the ending did feel too abrupt for me. I think it works in a way but selfishly I had hoped to see more of the aftermath. I wasn’t 100% sold on Gemma Chan’s personality changing 180 either. It came out of the blue and was never explained to the audience or thought of again after. That felt slightly sloppy to me. 37. Bullet Train directed by: David Leitch starring: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Sandra Bullock Fun little spin on the ole action-comedy flick. For the most part, it balanced humour and action very well. The actual setting of the bullet train was exciting too and added a bit of spice to the formula. I found myself laughing way more than expected. The total shock moment of Brad Pitt accidentally revealing the inner contents of the dummy briefcase to the bad guys!! Joey King's insufferable whining and Brian Tyree Henry complimenting her acting skills!! Simply most things that came out of Tyree Henry and Taylor-Johnson silly little British mouths. All proper laugh out loud moments. There were some equally standout action scenes. I enjoyed the Pitt vs. Tyree Henry in the silent carriage. I enjoyed the sparkling Voss water fight sequence in the food storage area. And the ominous threat of the poisonous snake was gloriously daft too. My main negative is that it all did start to feel a bit overdone by the end. The action just wouldn't end and then the jokes wouldn't stop either but they had stopped landing by then. I didn't need to see Joey King get ran over or Sandra Bullock's car get wrecked. Just end your film on a high note! 36. Beast directed by: Baltasar Kormákur starring: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries File this right next to Crawl and 47 Metres Down as killer animal total masterpieces. I just love this sort of popcorn flick… I can never get enough, lmao. I’ve seen a few review saying that watching the lion come at the family on repeat gets dull but I beg to differ. That lion was absolutely feral and completely terrified me. I’m usually pretty good with jump scares but even I’ll admit to flinching twice. I loved the Jurassic Park-esque lion vs. lion fight to end things too, haha. Not only the lion scenes were interesting though so I appreciated it for doing more in terms of threats. The snake on the tree got me, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about the alligators in the same area. Then I was gagged when the poachers recognised the uncle and sht started flying off the handle. Then his sacrificial going up in flames moment was a good one too. Loses a few points for the dead mum backstory that I didn’t care for. A big pet peeve of mine is darkly lit action so I found the night time scenes far less engaging than the daylight ones. It wasn’t impossible to tell what was going on though so I’ll let it slide. I just love this sort of thriller though. Can’t wait to see what animal Hollywood turns in to a mass murderer next! 35. Uncharted* directed by: Ruben Fleischer starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Antonio Banderas The thing with these sorts of movies is… I wish they’d just leave it be with the constant double crossing and plot twists. It just gets tiresome when you can’t trust or root for a single person, and they all make these random character choices seemingly out of nowhere. That aside (as it’s a trope to be anticipated with an action thriller and therefore somewhat excusable - you get what expect really), there were some brilliant action scenes. The plane scene was so exhilarating! As were the auction heist, and the giant pirate boats swinging around in the air. Tom Holland did a great job as the main star here. He’s proving to be a very strong leading man. I’m also just a lot bit in love with him and he did a lot of sexy things in this film. King. 34. Black Adam directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Pierce Brosnan There’s a lot to enjoy here but the overall package still manages to feel like it misses the boat. It’s the sort of superhero movie that I’d have thought was amazing back in 2012, but have come to expect better by 2022. The superhero genre is such a crowded film marketplace and you really need to do more than this to stand out from the crowd. I’ll start with the good stuff though. Firstly, the music choices really added to the big budget action scenes. “Power” and “Paint It Black” were the two that stood out to me the most as well as The Good, The Bad & The Ugly theme. Everything about the Justice Society really worked for me as well. Hawkman was my personal favourite character and I felt he had the best cheer-worthy moment too with his trick at the end. The delicacy of his wings and helmet were a constant joy to watch and he just looked awesome. Doctor Fate’s costume was expertly designed and I liked how he used his powers intelligently. It was refreshing to see a silver fox hero in the centre of the action too. Cyclone didn’t have heaps of personality but the green haze surrounding her as she span was a visual treat and the hair/make-up team did an excellent job with her look. Atom Smasher was just OK (and nothing that Ant-Man hasn’t done over in the MCU already). On the contrary, every thing about Black Adam seemed very seen-it-all-before. Your lead role shouldn’t be the 5th most exciting character in your film, lmao. He had the cool moment ripping the villain in two but every other thing he did has been done by either The Flash, Superman or Shazam before. This is personal preference but I’m also a bit hit and miss with The Rock and tend to prefer him in comedies. This role was far too serious to excite me, sorry ‘bout it. Overall, I had a good time with this and you can see where DC spent that budget. It does show! I’ll go as far as to say that Hawkman has become an immediate favourite of mine even though I had no prior knowledge of him before. However, I can see why comic mega-fans are frustrated by the DCEU being so far behind its competition when the DC brand is known for being so revolutionary. It might just be me but I also find it odd that they made Black Adam himself so boring in comparison to the other characters in his own movie. Hopefully James Gunn can overhaul things, ey. 33. Marry Me directed by: Kat Coiro starring: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley, Chloe Coleman, Sarah Silverman I’m now in my ‘JLo’ is the most gorgeous woman on the planet era. This has the usual beats of any old rom-com and therefore feels very formulaic but the star power of Lopez really makes it worth watching. She’s just such a delight to watch always. The film itself wasn’t even that funny (I did chuckle at Owen Wilson attacking the hair extension and Kat sat in standard class on the plane) but I still managed to have a great time. The best thing about it was that it was almost like watching a JLo concert in parts. All of her outfits were on point, the choreography was lively, the songs were catchy, the ad libs we’re vocally great. If this movie taught me anything, it’s that we all deserve another Lopez studio album. I know we all look to the green Versace dress as JLo’s iconic fashion moment but we need to rewrite history and make it that wedding dress. It’s a contender for most stunning garment of all time to be honest - still wowing! 32. The Batman directed by: Matt Reeves starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell I liked this a fair amount the first time but Batman’s dark tone just grates on me a bit. I wish there’d be a bit of light in this world, or like maybe just one joke but perhaps that’s just because I’m an MCU stan before anything. It started off really strong with the introduction of Batman in the shadows. I loved the shots of those criminals fearing the darkness as soon as the Bat symbol was up in the air. I wish the rest of the film was as worthy of demanding my attention because I found it to be a little meandering after the first act. The only bit that really enthralled me like that again was Batman’s caped descent from the skyscraper like a flying squirrel - that was an awesome shot! Cast highlights were Catwoman and The Riddler for me. I loved the way Selina Kyle moved in general. You could tell it was her stepping into frame from the moment that sassy boot stomped in. I liked how The Riddler was always one step ahead too and him gaining a little online army of radicals felt very 2022. The performance was a little bit over the top for me when he was unmasked though. Also, I’m still not a Jeffrey Wright fan… that man’s voice is so dull! I was disappointed we didn’t get more from Penguin too because his role was surprisingly very minor. Hopefully we see him crop up again because DeVito’s interpretation of the character is one of the most fun Batman cinematic characters. Thankfully this doesn’t feel three hours long exactly but it still drags a bit towards the end. I tried my hardest not to check the time forever but I had to cave after so long, lmao. This was a strong movie but it doesn’t reach the highs of The Dark Knight which remains my favourite Batman film. I enjoyed a bit more on re-watch because the good moments are so good. Selina Kyle is such a serve! It makes the fear of Batman (especially in the opening segment) feel properly realised in a way movies hadn’t mastered ‘til now. Also, some awesome cinematography with plenty standout shots that I was excited to revisit. Bravo, Matt Reeves. (I did check out a teeny weeny bit again towards the end… damn attention span. The first act is unbelievably strong though). 31. The Worst Person in the World directed by: Joachim Trier starring: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum An intriguing screenplay about those invasive thoughts we have as we reach proper adulthood. Do we want to be parents? Are we happy in our job? Is our life plan what we really want? etc. It’s like a coming of age movie for adults rather than teenagers and it’s unique in the sense that I don’t think I’ve seen something quite like that before. The conversation that Julie has with her ex in the hospital about motherhood was my highlight of all the chapters. Everything felt like it’d come full circle at that point. There’s a fairly long lingering shot that holds on Renate Reinsve’s face where she really impressed me with her acting. The scene at the party where they meet but don’t ‘cheat’ was another highlight. I hate tripping/hallucination scenes though and think they’re very rarely done well. This one just ruined the flow of the film for me and I’d happily have done without that chapter, ugh. I’m glad it was set across so many years too because you could see how the characters’ decisions played out. People are complex and sometimes decisions aren’t easy so I appreciated seeing how that went to affect the lives of these fictional people, haha. I can see why this took many critics by storm last year. Re-cap: 31. The Worst Person in the World 32. The Batman 33. Marry Me 34. Black Adam 35. Uncharted 36. Beast 37. Bullet Train 38. Don't Worry Darling 39. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness


Josh! View member profile	13th January 2023, 02:51 PM Post #43
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	30. X directed by: Ti West starring: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, Scott Mescudi I'm not one who's usually spooked or jumpy in horrors but this one genuinely had my stomach in knots. That horny old lady could very well be in my nightmares for months to come. Horror and perverted dirtiness go pretty well hand-in-hand together and Ti West definitely used that to his advantage. The youngsters and their movie set things up perfectly for things to take a turn as Pearl started kissing up RJ's body - it was horrifying! The whole ensemble cast was really strong so it's impossible to pick a highlight. Mia Goth's younger character was spunky and fun as our final girl, and then she was completely unnerving as Pearl on the other end of the spectrum. Brittany Snow could've been an honorary third Cock Destroyer with that over-acting in her porn segments, haha. Martin Henderson in his tighty-whities was a treat too. And a shoutout to Stephen Ure for being the equally terrifying 'ying' to Pearl's 'yang'... not a combo I'd want to come across on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. 29. Aftersun directed by: Charlotte Wells starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio The Dad version of The Lost Daughter. They'd make a great birth control double bill for any aspiring parents. This is another very human story but one that is never boring as these can sometimes be. Each interaction is there for a reason and tells you more about the two central characters. It didn't really hit me in the way I've read it has it others though... maybe because I don't have this sort of close in age, somewhat strained relationship with my own Dad. It's interesting to delve into your parent's psyche as that is often off-limits as a child. You never really think how difficult it is for them too when you're a kid, they're just the grown-ups to you. Especially fathers who are thought of as the more stoic and stable but I'm sure the reality is far from that. It was tough to watch Mescal hunched over breaking down on the bed. I actually came away being more drawn to Frankie Corio as Sophie though, despite being way closer to Mescal in age. She was just so vibrant, funny, intelligent - bless her. And it felt like watching a real kid do their thing and act up to the camera in the scenes shot on a camcorder. Watching her get up and do karaoke when her father wouldn't do it was literally one of the most devastating scenes to watch in cinema this year. The final scene where she's heading home and popping out from each doorway had me close to tears too actually, especially being worried something bad would happen to Mescal's character. I'm glad it wasn't that kind of story. Maybe it’s alluded to but at least was off-screen if so, and I can be blissfully ignorant. Rather than making me feel a new type of way for my Dad, it made me more nostalgic for being a care-free kid and scared to watch my little sister grow up so fast in the same way. I think it did have a profound effect on me but just not the same one it seems to have for many others. 28. Prey directed by: Dan Trachtenberg starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, Bennett Taylor This is my introduction to the Predator universe as somehow I've never seen a movie from this franchise before. I think it works very well as a standalone film though and I don't feel like I was missing out by not being familiar with the character before. I actually thought the Comanche aspect of the film was probably its largest strength. Their weapons made for unique action scenes and the areas it was shot in were absolutely breathtaking too. I thought the film was shot in a way that you could really sense the dangers that the natives faced whether it be wild lions or cruel colonisers. For a film about an alien predator, I surprisingly found the bear chase to be one of the most exhilarating sequences. In terms of the actual predator, it made for a strong 'villain'. I'll shout out the way he used the shield as a weapon as one of my absolute favourite things about the whole movie - it just looked freakin' awesome!! That net thing that basically dissolved one of the characters was gruesome too. I also can't go without mentioning the glowing visual of the green blood in the night scenes. It was little design things like that which made this film feel wasted on being sent directly to streaming. My main thing that brings it down a star is that I'm not a fan of invisible characters in action sequences. I just find it super difficult to follow what is actually going on. I had the exact same gripe with The Invisible Man (2018) and... unfortunately, Prey suffers from that very thing too. 27. Cyrano directed by: Joe Wright starring: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohn Oh, ok!! This is a fully blown musical then 😱 !! I feel like the trailers only hinted at just a bit of song and dance so I wasn’t expecting like 10 musical numbers throughout. I think it had some really gorgeous big spectacle moments, especially where the extras got involved with the routines and chorus. Some of the less grand songs felt a bit clichéd and cringey at times where the focus was more on the words. I was rolling my eyes when all the soldiers starting chiming in with their verses about loved ones. I’m in two minds on Peter Dinklage’s performance here. I thought all of his non-singing scenes were near perfect and you could see he had such an unrequited longing in his eyes. It made you just feel for him so badly. On the other hand, his singing was like borderline atrocious ?! It’s odd that Russell Crowe’s performance in Les Misérables (2012) is so reviled for his singing yet Dinklage here has garnered universal acclaim. I was most impressed with Haley Bennett as Roxanne from the entire cast. She completely lit up the screen with her performance and I wished we got even more of her. She had this really endearing playful side to her and also this totally badass feminist icon side too. She was such a girl boss in “I Need More”… Queen of constantly demanding better from the straight men around her. (That ending would totally have me bawling if I’d watched this hungover as well). 26. Thor: Love and Thunder directed by: Taika Waititi starring: Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman SPOILERS AHEAD I just love what Taika Waititi has done with Thor in the MCU. I always look forward to a Chris Hemsworth appearance because you know it's going to be a laugh and there'll be vibrant colours and banging songs to accompany it. This is more of the same following on from the success of Ragnarok, but I'm not sure it lands quite as well. On the good side, Hemsworth is a total star and has become one of my favourite MCU characters, period. His comedic timing is insanely strong - the way he had to juggle his relationships with Mjölnir and Stormbreaker was absolutely hilarious. Never been more happy to see 'Thor will return' in the credits. The relationship he has with Korg is also brilliant, he has to be Waititi's best role so far. Gorr was a good villain too even though he suffers from the one and done MCU villain problem. Bale's performance gave me Voldemort vibes and he is, of course, one of cinema's greatest villains so that's certainly no bad thing. I do wish we got to see a bit more God butchering on-screen but he still managed to come across very menacing and unhinged. Hopefully Zeus can get at least a two film arc before he's killed off, lmao. Lovely to see Crowe have fun with all of the lightning bolt twirling and toga wearing! On the other hand, I don't think the film managed any of its female leads very well. The Mighty Thor should've been cool as f* but somehow they managed to make Portman seem really uncool? Almost like she wasn't in on the joke but she actually was the joke. She did that one awesome thing where she sent Mjölnir off into pieces and then recalled it back into hammer shape, taking out all the bad guys in the process. Valkyrie was also a huge highlight in Ragnarok but they made her really disinterested and aloof here so she was impossible to warm too. She didn't have any memorable action moments either and then she was BENCHED in the final act in favour of a child army. Now that was uncool. All in all, a totally entertaining time at the movies and Waititi's unique style brings such a flavour to the Thor section of the MCU. Not quite as good as the last instalment but that would've been hard to top. I just hope they do more with Portman and Thompson in the future. 25. DC League of Super-Pets directed by: Jared Stern starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Marc Maron, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves Far more enjoyable than it had any right to be!! I think I liked it more than my little sister as it was so full of superhero references that you’d have to be a fan to understand. I went in to this thinking why have they made a movie about Justice League pets but came out wanting a sequel, lmao. Saying that, I do think I preferred the bits with the human characters as it felt a little less… silly. The team-up moments in the final act probably made for the most visually engaging action sequences. However, that amateur Spanish speaking army of Guinea pigs with an array of powers was a visual treat. And the cute kitty with a missile tail, lol. I thought it was really creative in places though which made it enjoyable as an adult. They could’ve cheapened out in places but they came up with fun ideas. For example, the Justice League could’ve easily been chucked in a generic jail but they all had their own unique inhibiting cells. The hamster wheel for the Flash! The airplane mode for Cyborg! The fish tank for Aquaman! All just really fun stuff. Natasha Lyonne stole the show as a potty-mouthed senile turbo tortoise. Even my sister commented on how many times she was bleeped out, haha - definitely pushed the boundaries a bit for a children’s film but it made me chuckle. I just had a great time watching it, laughed way more than I thought at some of the clever superhero references, and the action was really engaging. Still feels a bit unnecessary to make a film about DC pets but throwing in the human characters made it gel. A surprisingly charming little film. 24. The Banshees of Inisherin directed by: Martin McDonagh starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan This is unlike most things I’ve ever seen yet it works very well. It pulls you in at the beginning with comedy and then drags you into relationships much more real and difficult (whilst never losing that humorous touch). Little did I know going in to the screening that I’d be touched by the death of a pet donkey who dies chewing a severed finger. Aside from the genius writing, the performances also really shine here. Farrell, who must have the most expressive eyebrows in cinema, is the highlight for me. Condon is also incredible and her presence is hugely missed in the final act. Gleeson has that old grump persona down to a T and had you believing every word he said after he removed that first digit from his hand, eek. There are lots of standout moments and cheeky giggles to be had but I’d say the bar argument will stick with me most. The most eye-opening interaction was when Colm discusses no one remembering you in centuries unless you do something great which segues into Pádraic’s speech about how his mum, dad and sister are nice and he’ll always remember them. In that moment, it solidified exactly for the audience who these characters are in two sentences! Top notch screen writing. 23. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story directed by: Rian Johnson starring: Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson More glorious murder mystery goodness, but I don't think it masters the charm of the first Knives Out film. That's a hard ask though and I'd happily watch sequel after sequel if they keep on being as interesting as this. I think my lack of enthusiasm in comparison to the first lies with the less engaging cast (in my opinion anyway). There are still some fun characters but nobody as memorable as Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis or Ana de Armas, for example. I will hand out honourable mentions to Edward Norton who is perfectly cast, Janelle Monae who has fun with her two roles and Kate Hudson who does the absolute most... but I wasn't drawn to anyone else aside from them. The first half was pretty slow as we were introduced to the characters and it felt like watching a sloggy episode of The White Lotus if it was stripped of all the charm. I am in the Daniel Craig's accent is insufferable camp too and I actually missed a few lines due to it in the first half which I was annoyed at. but then... I was HOOKED from the moment we get the twin sister twist and the whole second half absolute flies by. It's a riot of plot twists, laugh-out-loud moments, clever hints and stunning outfits (especially from Hudson and Monae). Any slight hints of boredom I had in the first half of the film disappeared without a trace from that moment on and then I was even left feeling surprised at how soon the film was over despite its 2 hour & 20 minute runtime! I'll give a shout out to some of my favourite moments so that I can remember them looking back on this review in future. The whole Jeremy Renner's hot sauce gag with Blanc dabbing his eyes with it - hilarious! Edward Norton's self-obsessed 'genius' making up words that sound like they should be words, made even funnier by the fact I hadn't picked up on it until the reveal. And then the Gillian Flynn namedrop had me howling too, also made funnier by the fact Blanc sorted it in seconds when it was intended to last the whole weekend. Johnson was really in his bag writing up some of these gags. Overall, I'm happy with this and the whole twist ties everything together beautifully. I just wish the cast and characters had lived up to the huge expectations that the first cast had set. I selfishly hope Johnson has his eye on some of my faves for the third instalment. I'll look forward to re-watching these two in preparation as well. I have a feeling loads of hints will jump out at me from this on second viewing. 22. Operation Mincemeat directed by: John Madden starring: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn, Jason Isaacs What a story! It's almost hard to believe it's all true, right down to the little details like the eyelash in the letter. War movies tend to not be my cup of tea ordinarily but this whole concept was just so clever that it was glorious to see the deception plot develop. I love a good movie that makes me go away learning something new. I've spent an hour or so scouring the internet for more information on Operation Mincemeat so it has certainly done its job there. So many little segments had to fall into place for this to go to plan and yet it somehow did in a miracle manner. Aside from the eyelash, I think my favourite (almost unbelievable) part was the captain stationed in Spain persuading the coroner to hurry things up and grab some lunch instead. The bits that didn't work for me were the melodramatic personal life storylines. I switched off when it was this uninteresting love triangle between the central three characters. That's hardly compelling viewing when there's a whole other plot which is about genius war heroes plotting to hoodwinking the Nazis. I just kept thinking let's get back to more of that please! I really liked the note that the film ended on with the shot of the real grave dedicated to William Martin/Glyndwr Michael. It's mad to think that his true identity was kept a secret for so many decades after. 21. See How They Run directed by: Tom George starring: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Reece Shearsmith, Harris Dickinson, David Oyelowo Nothing better than going to see a film that you wouldn’t ordinarily pay to see and it turning out to be a total treat! Jam-packed with meta humour, twists, turns and cameos - this one is a real gem. Saiorse Ronan is the MVP and shows off some comedy chops I didn’t know she had before this. Her role is completely charming and extremely loveable. The overly keen attitude makes for some gloriously silly mix-ups, bless her. Sian Clifford also produces some laughter with her dry one liners but she’s not utilised nearly enough as she should be. I wish she was in more things… have casting directors not seen Fleabag?!? I also enjoyed Harris Dickinson’s leading man and Shirley Henderson’s Agatha Christie too. This just really wrapped me up in its little world, to the point that I was enjoying myself too much to even make guesses at the killer so the reveal came as a surprise as well, haha. I liked that it came full circle with some of the major foreshadowing at the beginning too, and things clicked tightly at the end as an audience member. It almost felt like being at the theatre within a movie. As a stage and theatre fan, I am (shamefully) not all that familiar with Mousetrap so I do wish I’d done my homework because this probably would’ve been the perfect film for me. I still managed to follow along as this makes it clear what references we need to know, but I still think that I would’ve had a better time if I was more clued up on the inspiration material. Re-cap:** 21. See How They Run 22. Operation Mincemeat 23. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 24. The Banshees of Inisherin 25. DC League of Super-Pets 26. Thor: Love and Thunder 27. Cyrano 28. Prey 29. Aftersun 30. X


Tafty³³³ View member profile	13th January 2023, 06:42 PM Post #44
I found the love, I found the love in me Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 13 December 2007 Posts: 87,457 User: 5,042	I loved DSiTMoM a lot more than most. I think it really executed the horror elements as well as it could for a Marvel/Disney movie. I do wish they'd explored more with the actual multi-verses though - I feel that really let it down for me. I missed 'Beast' & 'The Worst Person In the World'. I'm sure I'll catch them at some point. A few films that have shown up in this section that have made my top 20! I presume we're not actually that far apart in our opinions on most of them, but when it's a strong year, it's a strong year!!! 'X' was so much fun. I do think it could've pushed the boundaries a little bit further, but I thought it was overall executed incredibly well. 'Banshees...', 'Glass Onion' & 'Prey' will be featuring soon too. I'm glad you liked 'Thor: Love & Thunder', it's like we briefly touched on a couple of days ago, sometimes you just want something fun to just switch your brain off and enjoy! I do wish Gorr was a multi-arc story though, coz Christian Bale was excellent and Gorr could have been built up to be a bigger villain.


Josh! View member profile	14th January 2023, 08:11 PM Post #45
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	QUOTE(Tafty³³³ @ Jan 13 2023, 06:42 PM) I loved DSiTMoM a lot more than most. I think it really executed the horror elements as well as it could for a Marvel/Disney movie. I do wish they'd explored more with the actual multi-verses though - I feel that really let it down for me. I missed 'Beast' & 'The Worst Person In the World'. I'm sure I'll catch them at some point. A few films that have shown up in this section that have made my top 20! I presume we're not actually that far apart in our opinions on most of them, but when it's a strong year, it's a strong year!!! 'X' was so much fun. I do think it could've pushed the boundaries a little bit further, but I thought it was overall executed incredibly well. 'Banshees...', 'Glass Onion' & 'Prey' will be featuring soon too. I'm glad you liked 'Thor: Love & Thunder', it's like we briefly touched on a couple of days ago, sometimes you just want something fun to just switch your brain off and enjoy! I do wish Gorr was a multi-arc story though, coz Christian Bale was excellent and Gorr could have been built up to be a bigger villain. Yeah, we had most of the multi-verse stuff spoiled and then it was only one scene too. Spider-Man 3 was more of a 'multi-verse' movie and that didn't have the word in the title, haha. Both are worth a watch if you get the chance. Keep an eye on your emails because Letterboxd are always giving out free MUBI trials and you get some good foreign language stuff on there!! I'm with you on that too RE: Thor but it's the classic MCU villain issue. I guess I can see why Oscar-winner and incredible actor Christian Bale probably wouldn't want to waste his time on a multi-film character arc though when the MCU reputation is in quite the decline as of recently.


Josh! View member profile	14th January 2023, 08:31 PM Post #46
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	20. Flee directed by: Jonas Poher Rasmussen starring: (documentary) I'm very glad that I watched this. It was such a unique way to tell someone's true story and therefore it demanded your attention as a viewer in a really creative way. I probably wouldn't have given this one a watch if it wasn't animated in all honesty, yet I found myself clinging on to every little subtitled word. The most heart-in-mouth moments were seeing the travelling conditions of the refugees and knowing that they spent their last penny to cross borders like that. The imagery of the packed boat below deck with people being sick everywhere and still having to stay down there for 2 days in fear of being caught. The older lady being threatened with a shot to the head was just appalling too. I could never even begin to picture being a young teen and seeing all of that around me. Amin's voice cracking when he said he could see the fear on even the strong grown men's face was a moment. I'm happy for Amin that he got a somewhat happy ending after all the suffering he'd been through at such a young age. I was real worried he was being lead to a brothel at the end but that gay club made my little heart warm. Certainly bittersweet though knowing that he has a new life now and his family are interspersed around Europe, when they were once so close. It's just an unimaginably difficult situation for so many refugees globally. 19. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical directed by: Matthew Warchus starring: Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Emma Thompson This was soooo theatrical like I’m kind of obsessed. Every single actor was playing for the back row, lmao. There were no small parts in this film adaptation, that’s for sure! My favourite was seeing Emma Thompson gobble and leave absolutely no crumbs. The song about staying inside the line was gloriously camp and then all of her cutting one liners tickled me. Truly the British answer to Meryl Streep - what an icon. I’ve never seen the stage show but am familiar with a couple of songs. “Revolting Children” popped the fck off and those kids didn’t miss a beat. Insane talent from all of them at their young age. That choreography looked gruelling!! I fell in love with that alphabet song at the beginning too. That was the moment that I gave in to the theatricality of it all and was firmly along for the ride. It does suffer a bit from the second act being a bit serious and less fun but that does happen with a lot of stage shows. I wasn’t enjoying the acrobat/escapologist side stories either but at least it came full circle and was relevant in a sense. Lashana Lynch was surprisingly great at singing and very likeable herself but her character is dull as dishwater. She is to ‘Matilda’ what Grace is to ‘Annie’. Yawn! In conclusion, I loved ‘Matilda’ and it works so well as a fully mad musical. Totally makes me want to see the West End show too but it’ll be hard to top the production design and costuming of this version. 18. The Menu* directed by: Mark Mylod starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, John Leguizamo A riotous little satire on the 1% and fine dining. Perhaps doesn’t land its ending but the rest is so outrageously enjoyable that I can’t fault it too much. I’m exactly the type to snap photos of their food as well so I’ve been well and truly called out. I’d be Nicholas Hoult in this scenario, for sure. The actual menu itself was my favourite thing about it. Not only did it look brilliant but the concepts just got more and more outlandish. I was screaming at the no bread dish knowing full well that people with more money than sense would still totally buy into that in the real world. The scandalous tortilla dish was another highlight with the reactions of each table as they realised. Ralph Fiennes plays the almost cult-like leader incredibly well. Even I was hanging on to every word of his meal descriptions. My character highlight was Nicholas Hoult though who I think injected the most humour into the film. I do think his presence was sorely missed after his demise. Janet McTeer is and always will be a total icon too. I was a bit ‘eh’ at Anya Taylor-Joy’s character asking for a simple burger and being set free though. For a film otherwise soaked in social commentary, I didn’t really get what that was saying about class or money (if anything). I don’t know what kind of ending I wanted either… just not that, lmao. Ah well, I’ll definitely be recommending this to everyone and I enjoyed the rest so much that it’s not a dampener by any means. Stylish, hilarious and oozing star quality - one of my favourites of the year. 17. Not Okay directed by: Quinn Shephard starring: Zoey Deutch, Mia Isaac, Dylan O'Brien, Nadia Alexander, Embeth Davidtz, Brennan Brown Wasn’t sure what to expect from this after seeing the plot summary but it was a pleasant surprise. Balanced the funny really well for a topic that isn’t very funny if you think about it. Danni Sanders was just so out of touch that you couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation she was in. All the TikTok generation references made me chuckle. “Teen fakes being in terrorist attack to gain faux popularity” is exactly the sort of headline you would see on Twitter nowadays. That scorpion joint made me laugh too, lmao. Now that was an architectural masterpiece. I must also commend Mia Isaac on her standout performance. The words written for her character were powerful alone but she added a huge amount of weight and gravitas with her line delivery. That final scene was exactly the ending that Deutch’s character deserved but it hit 10x harder because of Mia Isaac. Bravo! And f* America’s gun laws. (Side note - I don’t think anyone has ever looked better than Zoey Deutch did in that minidress at the influencer party. Wow!) 16. Barbarian directed by: Zach Cregger starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long Maybe not as wild as I’d pictured in my mind based on audience reactions that I’ve seen online, but still pretty wild. I actually liked that we got a backstory for what was hiding in the tunnel that helped add some humanity as they could’ve easily gone the unidentified monster route. I also thought this film balanced humour and scares very well. I didn’t know whether to chuckle or acknowledge the bottomless pit forming in my stomach. I think my favourite scene was a perfect example of that balance where Justin Long’s character measures his newly discovered extra floor space as he goes deeper and deeper into the tunnels, eeek. I thought he was gonna be a little bit redeemable which made it all the more gobsmacking when he chucked Tess off the roof to save himself. It’s funny too because I was way more weary of Bill Skarsgård’s Keith yet he turned out to be the good guy. One negative is that I would’ve liked to have had more of an explanation to Andre (the guy in the neighbourhood) and how he knew what was going on underneath. The film did a very good job of explaining its central characters otherwise that this one felt like a bit of an oversight. 15. She Said directed by: Maria Schrader starring: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Morton, Ashley Judd Very Spotlight in its approach but brought right into the 21st century. I think this resonates with me personally even more as such a fan of movies. Even a quick check on Letterboxd tells me I’ve seen over 30 Weinstein-produced films. It’s mad to think all of this was glossed over and settled with for so many decades whilst he reaped huge success, money and awards. The film does a good job of driving home that the gender power imbalance is the largest factor in why this was allowed to go on for so long. Women were easily silenced by this monster of a man and forced into inconceivably unfair deals if they ever wanted to work again. Some of the clauses in their settlements were just insane (like limited/no access to doctors, therapists etc.) knowing full well what mental and physical pain that Weinstein had put so many women in. The real gut punch that this screenplay packs is the interviews with the victims. Samantha Morton makes every word count in her jaw-dropping café meeting. Jennifer Ehle brought me close to tears with her retelling. And then Ashley Judd playing herself must’ve felt like a huge f* you to her abuser too - I liked that we got to see the real her portrayed here. All of these were huge moments that helped make the film a success on an empathetic level for me. Carey Mulligan is and always will be a fantastic actress and I loved her snarky smirk when she was catching Weinstein’s team out. Zoe Kazan was my highlight though as I thought she did some brilliant emotional work to add most of the heart behind the sentiment. I think I appreciated this more from a female stories perspective than I did as a journalism movie though. It perhaps would’ve been intriguing to find out more behind any struggles there were with publishing or finding/persuading sources, like how Spotlight focused a bit more on the investigative journalism side. They mentioned similar Weinstein pieces had been shut down before but you never got the sense this was ever in danger of not being written. But that’s just me comparing like for like… in actuality, both stand alone as excellent films. 14. Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio directed by: Guillermo Del Toro starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton Definitely the saddest adaptation of Pinocchio that I've ever seen. I was gut-punched from the beginning with the death of Carlo so I should've been prepared by the even more emotional ending but yet it still caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to be questioning the meaning of life when settling down to watch Pinocchio but damn, life is short, isn't it? I've never seen sadness animated so well as it is in Geppetto's eyes here in multiple different scenes. I've not warmed to Geppetto in any Pinocchio story before but I just felt so awful for him in this version. Combine that with Desplat's masterful score and you get an incredibly touching final package. I'll give a shout out to Gregory Mann for making Pinocchio sound so bloody adorable too. He really captures that youthful wide-eyed awe of a kid seeing things for the first time. I was so totally charmed by "Everything Is New to Me" and him strutting around with the chamber pot as a hat, bless him. Very impressed overall though. Del Toro just keeps on building his legacy by showing he can make a life-affirming story out of anything. First, I fell in love with a movie about a woman and a fish-man and now I've had my heart torn out by a wooden boy. A true genius doing some career-best work in recent years. 13. Licorice Pizza directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie I feel very charmed after watching this. It largely had a really good sense of humour. There were so many highlights that will stick with me. Alana's meeting with the agent where she says yes to everything, hahaha. And my personal favourite, Alana making her selling pitch 'sexier' for the customer on the phone. I've been a big fan of the Haim sisters' music for years now but I wasn't sure what to expect from their acting debuts. Alana was absolutely electric, you could see why Gary was so drawn to her. And then Este and Danielle in their bit roles were hilarious too. The dinner scene where Gisondo says he's atheist was made even better by knowing about the Haim sisters in real life. Cooper Hoffman was brilliant too so shout out to him. Excited to see what he does next and whether he can live up to his father's huge legacy. Asian jokes left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, especially as my cinema screening seemed to laugh out loud the most at those (?!). And the age gap too... not really sure what to make of that. 12. Belfast directed by: Kenneth Branagh starring: Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, Josie Walker, Jude Hill The movie equivalent of a bittersweet hug. It has that emotional weight of saying goodbye to something, reminiscing on all the good times but knowing it’s for the best. I think it’s so beautiful to watch because you can just tell how much Kenneth Branagh fondly looks back on his childhood, and it’s made with such care. Balfe was my acting highlight as I felt she had the most moving moments which was were the film really excelled. Hinds & Dench were lovely too and felt so authentically grandparent-y. Their relationship was lush. Buddy has to be one of the cutest little kids in film. I could’ve just watched him going round growing up and saying things for the whole runtime, haha. Everything said in an Irish accent is infinitely more charming too. An excellent advert for Belfast tourism too. I certainly want to go after seeing the modern day city in the opening title sequence. 11. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 directed by: Jeff Fowler starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey This was so much stronger than the first movie, wow. I had a whale of a time to be honest and I’m already gagging for the third instalment featuring none other than SHADOW!!! The addition of Knuckles and Tails properly helped to flesh out this world - I just wish they’d done it sooner (and then perhaps the first film would’ve been better). I was expecting Tails to give me super nostalgia but it was surprisingly Knuckles who stole the show for me. He was completely menacing and his powers looked awesome on the big screen. That super-charged fight versus Sonic for the emerald was genuinely exhilarating! I’d actually go as far as to say I’d be interested in watching his spin-off TV show. Saying that, that fight was nothing compared to the Avengers-esque team up we got against Doctor Eggman though. I was properly geeking out when we got the circling shot of our hero trio as they joined forces for the first time. My boyfriend described it perfectly as the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' but for kids, haha. Jim Carrey was simultaneously one of the best and worst things about it. He had some cringe moments where it was just too over the top. On the other hand, some of his one liners made me properly chuckle. Him describing the mushroom world as a “portobello purgatory”, and want to get out of that “piece of SHIIT-ake” planet is exactly the sort of shit I live for as an adult sitting through a children’s film. I found Rachel annoying in the first movie too but she had some brilliant moments here. Her face acting as her wedding crumbled apart was perfect. And then her questioning whether everyone was in on it as an agent, including the woman who waxed her you know what. Overall, heaps of fun for kids and adults and I’d readily watch more. I can’t wait to see how they go even bigger and better following on because this already felt Avengers tier. Re-cap: 11. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 12. Belfast 13. Licorice Pizza 14. Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio 15. She Said 16. Barbarian 17. Not Okay 18. The Menu 19. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical 20. Flee


Josh! View member profile	16th January 2023, 11:04 AM Post #47
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	10. Boiling Point directed by: Philip Barantini starring: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham, Hannah Walters, Malachi Kirby, Taz Skylar, Lauryn Ajufo, Daniel Larkai, Lourdes Faberes, Jason Flemyng, Ray Panthaki God, this brought back some PTSD that I didn't even know I had from working in a restaurant before. Nothing worse than a customer complaining or demanding something unrealistic when you've got about 100 others tasks to deal with too, haha. I think one of my highlights of the movie was the health and safety officer visit at the very beginning. The panic on the faces of all the staff has to be one of the most accurate parts of the movie, lmao. To be honest, I think I enjoyed this as much as I did because it was just so relatable as an ex-restaurant worker, hahaha. And mine was far from a 5* restaurant so I can't even imagine the pressure cooker that would create! A standout performance for Stephen Graham who did an excellent job at anchoring the movie. You could really sense he was the root cause of this underlying sense of frustration throughout from the other staff. The fact that they were the ones being belittled and shouted at work whilst he was the drunk getting it all wrong for them. I'm surprised nobody snapped sooner in such a big way... but then that subtle bitching between one another was so realistic too. I'll give a shoutout to the supporting characters too who all mirrored co-workers most of us have had in real life. We've definitely all experienced that evil cow of a manager akin to Beth who thinks they know it all but wouldn't last a second in your job. And thank God for Carly managing to keep things together as long as they did. The one-shot aspect was a brilliant choice too and you could tell as an audience that it was a very deliberate decision. We never veered to one character as a break from the action, it was always adding something to the plot in some way and I think that's what helped it to feel so gripping. 09. The Woman King directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, John Boyega I actually can’t get over how insane some of the battle choreography was in this. Sometimes I get a bit bored of those huge war scenes with thousands of faceless enemies getting killed in a blur of poorly directed action but this was a huge exception to the rule. I’d become so attached to each of the main Agojie women too that I couldn’t take my eyes off them even when there were hundreds of others on-screen. The most incredible moment has to be when Lashana Lynch, as Izogie, is shot as she tries to escape. I had every faith they’d pull it off but that added a real sense of danger to proceedings. Thuso Mbedu, as Nawi, completely sold the pain she felt clinging on to her body and would be deserving of some awards attention for that clip alone. Viola Davis is a triumph too and makes the mother reveal hit 10x harder than it would if Nanisca was portrayed by a less masterful actor. I’ve not seen as much attention coming her way but I thought Sheila Atim was also an excellent casting choice and came across the most like a towering warrior of them all. I’ll also note that I appreciated the humour that Lynch and Boyega added which helped things not seem all too serious. I’ve never liked the latter in anything I’ve seen him in but he was impressive here, for sure. I can understand why the film carries the burden of a certain controversy but I don’t think historical accuracy was at the top of the director’s to do list and they did, at least, touch on the Dahomey’s involvement in the slave trade. I’m not sure they’d have gotten away with a 12A rating if they’d included the human sacrifices part. The knife through Nanisca’s forearm had me wincing enough as is. Side note but if Thuso Mbedu is THIRTY-ONE years old then I must be aging horribly. 08. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever directed by: Ryan Coogler starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Angela Bassett SPOILERS AHEAD Another triumph under Ryan Coogler’s belt! A tough ask dealing with Boseman’s tragic death in real life and continuing the Black Panther story but he did it very well. It got me from the get go by launching straight away with Shuri finding out and then the silent Marvel logo reel with only Black Panther footage - a very touching tribute. Letitia Wright acted the pain of the realisation in that moment incredibly touchingly. Aside from that, I never really warmed to her though. She isn’t as engaging as her co-stars and I don’t think she can lead a film as well as her on-screen big brother. Her tech didn’t seem that impressive in the grand scheme of other blockbusters we see in the cinema all the time nowadays… and she didn’t have a commanding presence either. I can’t say I’m excited to see her version of the character reappear in future instalments to be honest. The strength of this film, aside from Coogler, does massively lie on the shoulders of its female characters. Angela Bassett has two hugely impactful monologues and has the most touching death scene in the MCU since Black Widow for me. I think it even got me in the feels more than Aunt May! In terms of the other women, Okoye is so badass. Anneka adds a touch of excitement with her rebellious attitude. And Nakia shines again too with some of the most emotional human aspects of the film. Lupita Nyong’o and her sheer acting excellence added so much to that introduction of her son at the very end. And then we got a very good villain yet again. Both Black Panther films have excelled with those whilst the rest of the MCU often fails in that department. I liked the way Namor moved through the skies and seas, his character design was unique and his actual intentions made sense. I get why they did it because of the Vibranium-tracking device but the Wakandan plan seemed a bit foolish to lure their water-based enemy to a battle in the middle of the sea, lmao?! I guess thankfully the Talokan’s leader had surrendered by then otherwise they’d be dead meat. Finally, It hadn’t fully clicked with me until now but I loved hearing Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” at the end too. The humming introduction gave me chills as it started actually. The less said about “Born Again”, the better. 07. Fresh directed by: Mimi Cave starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi, Brett Dier Armie Hammer’s favourite movie of the year. This was insaaane! I was uneasy throughout but it also had a really playful vibe to it as well. The title credits rolling 30 minutes in when Noa’s been drugged was such a knowing wink to the audience that shit is about to go down. My stomach was in knots when she feebly tried escaping and woke up on the operating table. I can’t even imagine the pain of sitting down ever again after having your literal butt cheeks removed. I’d simply sleep, shit and eat standing up for the rest of my life. After all that, the date at the very beginning with Michael from Jane the Virgin was still probably the worst thing that happened to poor Noa. Of course he’s the kind of douche to text ‘u up?’ at the very end. I love, love, loved her friend Mollie too. She was so clued up but even she didn’t know what she’d got herself into. She gave me major Keke Palmer energy actually, I’d love to see her in another role off the back of this. Thank God she ended up escaping unscathed, especially in comparison to the other two girlies. My one qualm is that I wish they’d explained Steve’s wife’s motives more (or maybe I’m just dumb). What was in it for her? Especially considering they hinted at her being a victim too. 06. Avatar: The Way of Water directed by: James Cameron starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet SPOILERS AHEAD I was really expecting to find this a total chore with my admittedly sometimes short attention span, blah blah blah, but all I can say is wow. This is incredibly engaging and the level of world-building just gets you so invested as a viewer. It's a simple enough plot but the cogs fall nicely into place and it manages to pack a fair share of surprises still. I especially liked Neytiri calling Quaritch's bluff that he wouldn't care if his clone's son died. And she was right!!! In fact, Neytiri was such a bad btch in that final act - slay queen! The real wow factor is, of course, the visuals though. I wasn't fully on board with the first act in the forest world but I was hooked as soon as they landed in the Metkayina. The creatures they were riding were so cool, the sheer clarity of the water was amazing, the anti-whaling message was a nice touch. Just all top-notch stuff. The whole final act builds on that with some phenomenal action sequences (the Na'vi move so interestingly in their action scenes) and genuine stakes. I was most worried for little Tuk being in the thick of this battlefield when she was just so small. Her screaming in the Titanic-esque segment actually got me a little emotional because she was just so young, bless. I'll also say that this is the first time I've been able to see Avatar as a legitimate franchise. I was a bit 'eh' at first at the thought of just one sequel (never mind a 3rd, 4th and 5th instalment) but I can properly see what Cameron has in mind now for the future, and I'm excited!!! The set up with Spider saving his cloned father and the eldest daughter having connections to other powers are two storylines that I can't wait to see followed up. And thank God they've decided their home is with the water people because I'd hate for this to return to the forest world after how gorgeous this film was. That's 100% the right decision, and I hope they stay there for all five (or even explore more Na'vi areas? Perhaps a fire clan or something with red Na'vi?!). Side note: I know there's a Tree of Life at Disneyland but they urgently need to get re-creating Metkayina in some way because I think every person ever would love to get the opportunity to visit an oceanic paradise like that. (Kate Winslet had absolutely no scenes that required her to hold her breath for 7 minutes, lmao. Maybe that footage was saved for Avatar 3). 05. Top Gun: Maverick* directed by: Joseph Kosinski starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris SPOILERS AHEAD A little bit insane how much better this is than the 80s original. It has more action, more character development, more heart and is far more exhilarating. The only thing it had less of was topless men unfortunately but at least we still got our fix. The main wow factor is the mission itself and the flight sequences that ensue. It seemed beyond impossible to get right so it was such a cheer-worthy moment when they pulled it off. Especially when my heart was in mouth when you thought the two leads might get caught. It was such a moment watching it all unfold in the cinema. I'd describe it as feeling like being on a rollercoaster (but in the cinema!) as the planes swooped over the hill and down into the valley before hitting the target. The movie does well to lean in to the 80s original too and builds upon it well to hit you where it hurts. If you told me I was going to cry at this beforehand then I'd have laughed but there I was as Rooster and Maverick embraced at the very end. It does lose half a star here for two reasons. Jennifer Connelly looked absolutely gorgeous but I hated how she seductively read every line. I was thinking "stop that, it's uncomfortable"!! ... Also it could do a little more to explain some of the technical jargon to its casual audience. It's far easier to follow than the original so I'm pleased about that but there are still some bits that got lost on me. Like 'Mach 10' looked and sounded impressive but what does that mean? and what if he does go to 10.1? What then? Has anyone ever gone to Mach 10 before Tom Cruise? How impressive is that really? 04. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande directed by: Sophie Hyde starring: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack What a delightful little surprise! Emma Thompson truly is a national treasure. Equal parts hilarious, scathing and raw - we’ve never seen her as open and honest as she is here. She would be in the running for major awards contention if we lived in a just society. I can’t believe how impressed I was with this after I didn’t look twice at the trailer. Every line in the script felt considered and added something new to our understanding of either main character. There was no filler whatsoever and some of the humour was so intelligently refreshing. Genuinely the most I’ve laughed at a movie this year and it’s not even a proper traditional comedy. I was howling when she talked about receiving one different essay saying ‘sex work should be legalised so your mum has to pay taxes’, haha. Leo Grande himself was completely captivating and reassuring. You could see why Nancy was losing herself in the fantasy and overstepping the mark. Seeing a character like this cry over her lost youth and then doing something about it felt very real and liberating, and not something we see on the big screen nearly enough. Bravo, I’m completed charmed by this. 03. Triangle of Sadness directed by: Ruben Östlund starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Burić, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Sunnyi Melles, Woody Harrelson Surprisingly absolutely loved this! I wasn’t sure what I was going to think going in to it but I was hooked by Act 1 and then it only got better and better. Every line of dialogue seemed important and was laced with some kind of political statement and/or humour. I was hanging on every word so the long runtime, that I’ve seen others complain about, didn’t both me one bit. Act 2 is the one everyone will be talking about and I appreciated seeing it with a full audience because everyone around me was absolutely crying with laughter. It was funny because it had landed some really intelligent humour up until then but suddenly went for the low-brow and it was still hilarious, lmao. And then Act 3 properly sends home the message about class differences and the useless rich. I was thinking to myself that it’s odd that nobody seems bothered that their families haven’t washed up yet but then you have that scene where the Russian finds his wife and takes her jewellery off which says it all in that one moment. Dolly De Leon is deservingly getting praise for this segment too. I knew I’d love her as soon as she started splitting the food as one for the group and one for just her - queen shit. How gorgeous were Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean as our two main characters as well. They were so perfectly cast and watchable. Even their discussion about paying for dinner and the elevator scene is up there with my favourite scenes in the film despite so much more crazier still to come. I was not familiar with Dean before this but her death is a huge loss. 02. Turning Red directed by: Domee Shi starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, James Hong I loved everything about this. It might be the hype talking but I think it instantly ranks as one of my Pixar favourites already. It just feels like that perfect in-between stage puberty movie that everyone can relate to. I didn’t think an animated film made for kids would touch so much on growing up, and body changes, and first crushes and all that comes with that awkward teen phase but it did it so intelligently and with such an educational humour. Domee Shi really must be applauded for making something which will surely be so important to generations of kids for years to come. Sandra Oh’s stern uptight mother was absolutely hilarious. She brings that unimpressed tone in her live-action roles and puts it straight into voice acting here and it translates so well. Her storming into the store to confront the cashier was nothing short of iconic. The red panda design was gorgeous too. I’d love a Mei (Panda version) plushy in real life!! The mum’s Godzilla panda was so detailed as well. And then hahahaha at that very same Godzilla panda being banished into a tamagotchi!! I know Domee Shi has expressed some interest in returning to these characters again so I hope Disney Pixar offer her some sort of deal. I’d watch the fck out of a Disney+ spin-off show. (The 4Town songs were bops too). I do just think that this is brilliant. For a "children's film", it so confidently discusses puberty, growing up, first crushes etc. in an entertaining and universal way. It feels like assured film-making despite being the riskiest thing Pixar has ever done. I have absolutely nothing but praise for the writers, Julia Cho & Domee Shi. (I love you Sandra Oh and everything you do. Uptight traditional mother is your best role since Cristina Yang). 01. Everything Everywhere All At Once directed by: The Daniels starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis Woah!! Unlike anything I've ever seen before and that massively adds to it being one of my favourite cinema experiences ever. From the word go, I was hooked before the multiverse bits even came in. I can't wait to watch it again already and spot all these little things that I'd definitely have missed the first time. I was constantly marvelling at the strength of the action scenes which were just incredibly edited. I didn't think it'd get better than the sequence where Jobu Tupaki annihilates the guards with such seamless transitions between outfits. But it just went on and got better and better! The whole final act switching between multiple Michelle Yeoh's was just insane but I didn't want to blink in fear of missing something. What a powerhouse performance from Michelle Yeoh. I really do hope she stays in the conversation all the way to the Academy Awards. For a film so insane, she still manages to make it feel somewhat grounded and carrying emotional weight. That hug with Joy in the car park was such a moment. Ke Huy Quan was superbly adorable too, how could you divorce that face?! It made me laugh so much too and just got more and more absurd. I thought it wouldn't get any more odd until we suddenly took a break from the action to enter a rock universe, lmao. The 'Raccacoonie' character actually coming into play in the end was also super and I love how Harry Shum Jr. always looks beyond happy to be there. Of course, I can't go without mentioning hot dog finger universe too. Re-cap: 01. Everything Everywhere All At Once 02. Turning Red 03. Triangle of Sadness 04. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande 05. Top Gun: Maverick 06. Avatar: The Way of Water 07. Fresh 08. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 09. The Woman King 10. Boiling Point This post has been edited by Josh!: 16th January 2023, 11:31 AM


Josh! View member profile	16th January 2023, 11:06 AM Post #48
c: Joined: 12 March 2014 Posts: 13,153 User: 20,692	2022 RANKING: 01. Everything Everywhere All At Once 02. Turning Red 03. Triangle of Sadness 04. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande 05. Top Gun: Maverick 06. Avatar: The Way of Water 07. Fresh 08. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 09. The Woman King 10. Boiling Point 11. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 12. Belfast 13. Licorice Pizza 14. Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio 15. She Said 16. Barbarian 17. Not Okay 18. The Menu 19. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical 20. Flee 21. See How They Run 22. Operation Mincemeat 23. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 24. The Banshees of Inisherin 25. DC League of Super-Pets 26. Thor: Love and Thunder 27. Cyrano 28. Prey 29. Aftersun 30. X 31. The Worst Person in the World 32. The Batman 33. Marry Me 34. Black Adam 35. Uncharted 36. Beast 37. Bullet Train 38. Don't Worry Darling 39. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 40. Hocus Pocus 2 41. Disenchanted 42. The Black Phone 43. All My Friends Hate Me 44. Notre-Dame on Fire 45. The Good Nurse 46. Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers 47. Scream 48. Pinocchio 49. Bones and All 50. Fire Island 51. Mass 52. The Sea Beast 53. Bros 54. Violent Night 55. Your Christmas or Mine? 56. The Duke 57. Downton Abbey: A New Era 58. Fall 59. Lightyear 60. Ambulance 61. My Policeman 62. The School for Good and Evil 63. Jennifer Lopez: Halftime 64. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody 65. Orphan: First Kill 66. Sing 2 67. Elvis 68. Red Rocket 69. The Eyes of Tammy Faye 70. Watcher 71. Jurassic World: Dominion 72. Nightmare Alley 73. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris 74. Morbius 75. The Adam Project 76. The Lost City 77. Three Thousand Years of Longing 78. Parallel Mothers 79. Bodies Bodies Bodies 80. Halloween Ends 81. Nope 82. Kimi 83. Love in the Villa 84. Do Revenge 85. Deep Water 86. Enola Holmes 2 87. The Tragedy of Macbeth 88. The Lost King 89. The Northman 90. The Phantom of the Open 91. Windfall 92. Spirited 93. Causeway 94. The Invitation 95. All Quiet on the Western Front 96. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 97. Men 98. Official Competition 99. The Forgiven 100. Better Nate Than Ever 101. Falling For Christmas 102. Our Father 103. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile 104. Minions: The Rise of Gru 105. Where the Crawdads Sing 106. Smile 107. Decision to Leave 108. Ticket to Paradise 109. Living 110. Hatching 111. The 355 112. Senior Year 113. The Gray Man 114. Strange World 115. Amsterdam 116. The Nan Movie 117. Spiderhead 118. Choose or Die 119. Save the Cinema 120. Armageddon Time 121. The Bubble 122. Death on the Nile 123. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania 124. Umma 125. Joyride 126. The Wonder 127. Emily 128. The Bad Guys 129. Ali & Ava 130. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 131. Moonfall 132. The Tender Bar 133. Firestarter 134. My Son 135. Dog 136. The Silent Twins 137. White Noise 138. Dual 139. Blonde 140. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild 141. Crimes of the Future


Tafty³³³ View member profile	20th January 2023, 01:11 PM Post #49
I found the love, I found the love in me Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 13 December 2007 Posts: 87,457 User: 5,042	'FLEE' top 20! We love to see it Very hapy to see 'She Said' as high for you as it is for me too! That really surprised me. Love that we both still had a Marvel movie top 10 in the end (and the same one too ) The 'Sonic 2' love too. This franchise is so charming. I'm so excited for the 3rd! Bleh at 'Avatar'. Glad you enjoyed it though! Your review was the first one I saw that actually gave detail about as to why you loved it and not just "OMG VISUALLY AMAZING!!! 5 STARS!!!!!!" so I appreciate it I'm so sad 'Triangle of Sadness' isn't getting big awards buzz tbh. I assumed it would. But maybe it's a bit too outrageous for them lol. I need to watch 'Turning Red' again, coz I really didn't think much to it at all and that makes me sad LOOOOVE EEAAO! Loved your write ups and loved following your countdown!