January 11, 20223 yr Author 63. Sound of Metal directed by: Darius Marder starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci A solid movie but I did find it a bit of a slog at times (especially with the plot about the girlfriend). However, I was really impressed with how effective the use of sound was throughout. It helped to relay Ruben's frustration to the audience and I found a lot of the scenes with distorted audio or no sound whatsoever much more instantly gripping. Riz Ahmed pulled off a worthy performance but Paul Raci was my acting highlight. He had the most interesting character to me and completely stole the show in the scenes they shared in my opinion. I felt his wise and nurturing character left the biggest impact on me. 62. Another Round directed by: Thomas Vinterberg starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe An interesting view on the effects of alcohol, showcasing the whole spectrum of being drunk from when it can act as a social aide, to the devastating conclusions of over-drinking. The first half was really quite fun to watch and I found myself chuckling a fair bit. It was brill when they were all at a low level and just be vibing through the day, haha. I’m sure it’ll be very bittersweet if I were to re-watch though, after knowing what it leads to in the end for them. It did outstay its welcome a bit at the end though. I was hoping/expecting it to end a couple times before it actually did. I also thought the huge focus on the marriage at the end felt a little hollow considering the fact that the wife had been nothing more than a very minor side character for the rest of the film. 61. Those Who Wish Me Dead directed by: Taylor Sheridan starring: Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen, Medina Senghore, Jon Bernthal One of those C-list action thrillers that I'm happy to watch but glad I don't pay full price to see at the local Cineworld. I had higher expectations too based on it being written by Taylor Sheridan (after how intense 'Sicario' and 'Wind River' were) but I was left feeling just pretty 'whelmed'. Bernthal and his partner were the only characters I felt that I was really rooting for. I'd rather the movie have followed them as the central characters to be honest. The stakes always seemed much higher for them and they were both badass af too. I just wanted to get back to their storyline whenever the little boy was on screen, lol. Angelina Jolie is a queen too. One of those movie stars that could get me to watch a film no matter what. 60. Spencer directed by: Pablo Larraín starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, Sally Hawkins This felt like a longer version of one of the weaker episodes from the fourth season of The Crown. Meh! I enjoyed some of the juicy parts with the power dynamic between Diana, Charles, The Queen etc. but it ALWAYS reverts to her being miserable and mopey - that’s where it begins to be hard to sit through. I also thought that the recurring Anne Boleyn metaphor was messy and not particularly effective either. Stewart’s performance was really stand out! I thought she aced some of the raw emotional scenes, and the ongoing struggle with her eating disorders. I even preferred it to Emma Corrin’s recent portrayal of Di. (Shout out to the score and the cinematography as well. Hope it gets some awards attention in the technical aspects too). In hindsight, I appreciate it more looking at it as a work of fiction. Still can't really stand watching Diana but it was a creative way to tackle a based-on-true story that's already being covered on a high profile Netflix show. I do feel like two can live in a world side-by-side rather than this being made irrelevant by the other's existence. 59. The Croods: A New Age directed by: Joel Crawford starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, Kelly Marie Tran Definitely more of a proper kids film, with limited adult appeal really. Even so, I found myself really enjoying the final act. Especially once they got their tribe names and title cards, haha. My favourite bit was the animal design throughout… the Kangadillos & the land sharks were really cool. And of course, the punch monkeys (I loved their language, hahah. The sequence with subtitles made me laugh out loud). I absolutely loved the mother Betterman too. She was such an uptight queen but also was so iconic when she let her hair down. Literally! Re-cap: 59. The Croods: A New Age 60. Spencer 61. Those Who Wish Me Dead 62. Another Round 63. Sound of Metal 64. He's All That 65. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 66. Nomadland 67. Godzilla vs. Kong 68. The Guilty 69. The Addams Family 2 70. The King's Man 71. Pieces of a Woman 72. Gunpowder Milkshake 73. Supernova 74. Candyman 75. Dear Evan Hansen 76. Red Notice 77. A Boy Called Christmas 78. Respect 79. Don't Breathe 2 80. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 81. Pig 82. The French Dispatch Edited January 11, 20223 yr by Josh!
January 11, 20223 yr Oh no I really liked all of your bottom 3 :( And I wasn't really expecting much from any of them, especially Pig which I thought was gonna be Nicolas Cage going John Wick over the pig but turned out to be the complete opposite! Tho we're back in agreement on Don't Breathe 2, that film can burn in a pit in hell x Thank you for reminding me about that Red Notice cameo, I forgot about that HIDEOUS moment and how it brought the film down for me so thx for the mems xx I will defend Dear Evan Hansen forever (even if I feel I'm the only one left at this point!), yasss at your Sincerely, Me stanning tho, one of the best musical songs of the past decade *.* <3 I loved Pieces of a Woman, Sound of Metal and Spencer too! (I hope K-Stew can snatch the Oscar). He's All That would probs be placed similar for me, I went in expecting to HATE it but I can't lie I had a good time :kink: Tho sorry Kardashian was razzie worthy xx And Wigasus is the biggest icon of 2021 and worth justifying the existence of The Croods 2 x Loving the countdown so far <3
January 12, 20223 yr Author Oh no I really liked all of your bottom 3 :( And I wasn't really expecting much from any of them, especially Pig which I thought was gonna be Nicolas Cage going John Wick over the pig but turned out to be the complete opposite! Tho we're back in agreement on Don't Breathe 2, that film can burn in a pit in hell x Thank you for reminding me about that Red Notice cameo, I forgot about that HIDEOUS moment and how it brought the film down for me so thx for the mems xx I will defend Dear Evan Hansen forever (even if I feel I'm the only one left at this point!), yasss at your Sincerely, Me stanning tho, one of the best musical songs of the past decade *.* <3 I loved Pieces of a Woman, Sound of Metal and Spencer too! (I hope K-Stew can snatch the Oscar). He's All That would probs be placed similar for me, I went in expecting to HATE it but I can't lie I had a good time :kink: Tho sorry Kardashian was razzie worthy xx And Wigasus is the biggest icon of 2021 and worth justifying the existence of The Croods 2 x Loving the countdown so far <3 I'm not the biggest Nicolas Cage fan on the best of days either so maybe I was a bit biased. Have you seen that new film where he's playing himself, haha?! I saw a trailer at the cinema recently and was like wtf. 'Sincerely, Me'!! That was it. It was so fun hahah. The rest of the songs largely took themselves a bit seriously but that one was so camp. I bet that'd be so fun to see live in the stage show too. Kourtney Kardashian needs to be in more movies, lmaoooo. It was just so silly when she kept calling in, hahaha. Name one other actress who could play that role, huh. Thanks Sam : heart:
January 12, 20223 yr Author 58. F9 directed by: Justin Lin starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron Probably would've enjoyed this even more if I wasn't absolutely exhausted after the vaccine but there was enough action to keep me entertained even when I was struggling to concentrate. Saying that, there was definitely 20 mins or so of footage that could've been cut out though. I couldn't have cared less about all the young Toretto back stories, and I find Vin Diesel a chore to watch as a lead. He has none of the charisma or leading man charm that Dwayne Johnson has but this has a far better supporting cast than the latter's spin-off had. The action scenes were, of course, the highlight. The Edinburgh chase seen was really fun to follow along as someone who has visited the city multiple times. The giant magnet machine had a lot of wow factor too, the shot of them using it to pull in Cena through buildings was wicked. The women were all cool as well and definitely my highlights of the movie. Emmanuel was hilarious when she was driving the truck for the first time but I also thought Brewster provided a lot of the heart behind the movie, and Rodriguez is always a badass. Maybe I'd care more about the plot itself if I'd followed the franchise since the beginning (and not since only Furious 7). It meant parts like the Han reveal meant nothing to me. And I didn't have a clue who the child's supposedly dead mother was meant to be. 57. The Green Knight directed by: David Lowery starring: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Ralph Ineson Gorgeous cinematography, that was my main take away from the movie really. I’ll take ten screen grabbed postcards please! The Green Knight character design & lore was super interesting & I loved the scenes that involved him. The threat of his return made me want to continue watching during the slower periods of the film. Side note: Alicia Vikander playing two characters just seemed unnecessarily confusing. I thought I’d missed something as to why it was the same actress but it seems not. Definitely would’ve been easier to follow if they’d just cast a separate actress for one of the roles?! 56. The Matrix Resurrections directed by: Lana Wachowski starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jada Pinkett Smith A Matrix story I could actually somewhat follow, wahey! Definitely a return to form of sorts after the convoluted messy plot and CGI alien swarms of the third instalment. I’m a sucker for nostalgia anyway but Reeves and Moss are so damn good in their roles. It’s just so fun to have them back. That line at the end where Trinity said something along the lines of ‘don’t f***ing call me Tiffany’ is already iconic. In fact, Trinity’s whole character arc in the final act was women’s rights! She always was the star. I loved Niobe showing up in this as well actually. It reminded me a bit of General Organa in the Star Wars sequels. It was a nice sense of familiarity and to catch up with a character so many years on. On the bad side, I could take or leave the villains. The new Agent Smith didn’t have the same spark that Weaving has. And the more confusing parts were involving Neil Patrick Harris. The action was pretty plain Jane too until the final act. The bodies dropping from the skyscrapers as bombs was insane though! 55. Ron's Gone Wrong directed by: Sarah Smith, Jean-Philippe Vine, Octavio E. Rodriguez starring: Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Rob Delaney, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Olivia Colman Awww man, Ron was SO cute. Top humour from him, hahah. I can’t decide whether I want a Ron more or a B-Bot - they were so cool!! It had a really nice message about friendship being a two-way street as well. Bit gutted Barney didn’t get to keep himself a Ron by the end of the movie :’( Bit long for a kid’s film though like, lol. Feel like this would’ve struggled to keep my attention as a youngster. 54. King Richard directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal I was a bit worried about the runtime of this one but it never really felt long like other similar biopics have in the past. Knowing the Williams' sisters grow to be SUCH sport icons really makes you root for them and want to know how it all began. Smith was the standout - and watching the real life archive footage of Richard Williams at the end helped to showcase his great work. It was almost like-for-like so props to him for getting so much of that down to a T. I'd like to give Saniyya Sidney a shout out too for acing (get it) her role. She was so watchable the entire time as Venus Williams. I had my heart in my mouth throughout the match in the final act. Re-cap: 54. King Richard 55. Ron's Gone Wrong 56. The Matrix Resurrections 57. The Green Knight 58. F9 59. The Croods: A New Age 60. Spencer 61. Those Who Wish Me Dead 62. Another Round 63. Sound of Metal 64. He's All That 65. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 66. Nomadland 67. Godzilla vs. Kong 68. The Guilty 69. The Addams Family 2 70. The King's Man 71. Pieces of a Woman 72. Gunpowder Milkshake 73. Supernova 74. Candyman 75. Dear Evan Hansen 76. Red Notice 77. A Boy Called Christmas 78. Respect 79. Don't Breathe 2 80. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 81. Pig 82. The French Dispatch
January 12, 20223 yr Absolutely LOVED Ron's Gone Wrong, the biggest surprise for me of 2021 and think it was better than all Disney films released this year oops.
January 13, 20223 yr Loving this countdown so far. Agree with most of the movies I've seen although I'd probably place Those Who Wish Me Dead lower. Also if any of these feature on your list I'd also have cut them a while back so here's some bad movies (and some okay movies with huge flaws) I saw in 2021: Space Jam 2, Halloween Kills*, Venom, Sia's Music, A Quiet Place Part 2*, Sing 2, Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, that movie with KJ Apa about Covid-23 lmao, Army of the Dead, The Tomorrow War*, Everybody's Talking About Jamie * These movies were not necessarily bad but had some huge flaws in the execution. However the only movies I'm TRULY rooting for here (assuming they feature) are Spider-Man: No Way Home, Don't Look Up, Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar, Dune and most importantly (if it didn't feature on your 2020 list) Promising Young Woman which has got to be the best movie I've seen in a LONG time.
January 13, 20223 yr Author Loving this countdown so far. Agree with most of the movies I've seen although I'd probably place Those Who Wish Me Dead lower. Also if any of these feature on your list I'd also have cut them a while back so here's some bad movies (and some okay movies with huge flaws) I saw in 2021: Space Jam 2, Halloween Kills*, Venom, Sia's Music, A Quiet Place Part 2*, Sing 2, Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, that movie with KJ Apa about Covid-23 lmao, Army of the Dead, The Tomorrow War*, Everybody's Talking About Jamie * These movies were not necessarily bad but had some huge flaws in the execution. However the only movies I'm TRULY rooting for here (assuming they feature) are Spider-Man: No Way Home, Don't Look Up, Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar, Dune and most importantly (if it didn't feature on your 2020 list) Promising Young Woman which has got to be the best movie I've seen in a LONG time.There are a couple of those still in the running,-ooop- but some I've not seen too. Sia's Music looked so problematic I couldn't bring myself to watch it, haha. Songbird was dreadful!! I'd forgotten all about it 'til now but WHAT a disappointment. It could make for a good movie idea in a couple of years if someone can tackle it a bit better, lol. Sing 2 is a 2022 movie here in the UK, so we'll see this time next year! :P Promising Young Woman is coming though, stay tuned x Thank you! Absolutely LOVED Ron's Gone Wrong, the biggest surprise for me of 2021 and think it was better than all Disney films released this year oops. I can confirm all three Disney/Pixar movies are yet to come but it's about time we disagreed Jack, haha. I did find it really charming but I just found myself clock-watching a bit in the final act. Cheers :heart:
January 13, 20223 yr Author 53. Nobody directed by: Ilya Naishuller starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Christopher Lloyd Pretty fun action movie to be fair. I'm usually not the biggest fan of mindless action but this had plenty of gruesome shots and grizzly deaths that kept it entertaining enough. Some of the jokes were so over-the-top funny that they made me laugh too (The ongoing kitty cat gag was a good one. As well as the on-the-nose 'let's get a house with a basement' closer, lol). Hutch's dad was also iconic, watching him whip out a giant shotgun from underneath his blanket at the care home was such a wtf moment but it did make me chuckle. I just know I'm never going to remember a single thing about this movie in two years time but it was a good time whilst I was watching it and that's all matters for these types of movies, hahaha. Bob Odenkirk was kind of a daddy too? 52. Halloween Kills directed by: David Gordon Green starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann, Anthony Michael Hall, Kyle Richards I went in with really low expectations for this based on critic reviews and also the awful quality of the last movie but I actually kind of enjoyed it?!? It was just so over-the-top silly that I was having a good time with it mostly. I liked that it focused more on the old school actors and the 1978 original (including the 'new' footage we got with the flashbacks throughout). It was a nice nod to the legacy of Halloween and made me actually care about the characters - rather than those irrelevant teens who were so prominent in the last movie. Kyle Richards was iconic. She better be back in the next instalment. Disappointing end though. They're just running out of ways to keep this superhero villain alive. He should be dead a thousand times already!! I can take one more film but let's really hope 'Halloween Ends' lives up to its title and delivers on that promise. 51. The Colour Room directed by: Claire McCarthy starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Matthew Goode, Kerry Fox, David Morrissey, Darci Shaw, Luke Norris Nothing special really, but it had its moments and it was nice to see something so British (and not London history too, for a change!). The pottery on display was gorgeous and I enjoyed reading about the real-life trailblazer that Cliff was. It’s mad to see how much her original Bizzare pottery work sells for nowadays. A feminist icon that I’m glad I know about now thanks to this film. Phoebe Dynevor was really lovely. If this is her first major movie role then I can’t wait to see where she goes from here. She made for a really endearing leading lady 50. Single All the Way directed by: Michael Mayer starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, Jennifer Coolidge, Kathy Najimy Aw, this was cute haha. Finally a decent Christmas classic for us gays. Everyone was so likeable in this that I didn't even mind which gay picked which - I'd have been happy either way, lol. I want my own Christmas Carole in the family. And how can we forget Aunt Sandy - what a scene stealer Coolidge is! The scene where the sister bumped into the potential date in an attempt to sabotage it was way funnier than it had any right to be. Blame Peter for global warming!! 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway directed by: Will Gluck starring: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, Elizabeth Debicki, Lennie James, Margot Robbie, James Corden Haven’t seen the first Peter Rabbit film so wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this but it was really rather charming. Rose Byrne being a central character was a little pleasant surprise, she’s always just so LOVELY and has great comedic timing here as always. The final act especially was just heaps of fun. Watching all the little rescue missions had me grinning from ear to ear. My favourite being the deer’s rescue from the hunting museum. I know we have to suspend belief a little as it is a kid’s movie after all... BUT I thought the humans suddenly being able to hear Peter speak halfway through the sequel to be a bit silly? There had been a whole farm yard full of different species talking right in front of humans all along and no one had batted an eyelid! Also, I’ve never known a town to be as hot on adopting animals the second they get put in the shop window as the town in this film, lmao. Re-cap: 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way 51. The Colour Room 52. Halloween Kills 53. Nobody 54. King Richard 55. Ron's Gone Wrong 56. The Matrix Resurrections 57. The Green Knight 58. F9 59. The Croods: A New Age 60. Spencer 61. Those Who Wish Me Dead 62. Another Round 63. Sound of Metal 64. He's All That 65. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 66. Nomadland 67. Godzilla vs. Kong 68. The Guilty 69. The Addams Family 2 70. The King's Man 71. Pieces of a Woman 72. Gunpowder Milkshake 73. Supernova 74. Candyman 75. Dear Evan Hansen 76. Red Notice 77. A Boy Called Christmas 78. Respect 79. Don't Breathe 2 80. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 81. Pig 82. The French Dispatch
January 13, 20223 yr Loved Single All The Way - such a cute film! One of the better Netflix originals for sure. Halloween Kills was iconic for some of its gruesome kills and Kyle Richards being an icon. Other than that, it was pretty generic and the whole scene in the hospital was.... unnecessary. I didn't really like the ending either but I guess it made sense. Kyle to be the queen to kill Michael for good in the final film!
January 13, 20223 yr Another Round was a film that surprised me by how much I loved it. I had read about the final scene beforehand and thought it sounded pretty cheesy but I thought they pulled it off so brilliantly. It's one of my favourite endings of any film I've seen. Sound of Metal is another film with an outstanding final scene but as I was expecting to love it more than I did. The performances were great and it's use of sound was inventive but it didn't grip me as much as I hoped. Nobody is high-up on my to watch list!
January 14, 20223 yr Author Another Round was a film that surprised me by how much I loved it. I had read about the final scene beforehand and thought it sounded pretty cheesy but I thought they pulled it off so brilliantly. It's one of my favourite endings of any film I've seen. Sound of Metal is another film with an outstanding final scene but as I was expecting to love it more than I did. The performances were great and it's use of sound was inventive but it didn't grip me as much as I hoped. Nobody is high-up on my to watch list! I was a bit conflicted on the ending. I did think it was rather beautiful... but at the same time, I was kind of cringing too much whilst watching it - haha. I was ready for it to end by then. Totally agree on Sound of Metal. The sound design was the most impressive thing about it for sure. But I was just clock-watching for the majority of the runtime, I thought it'd be far more gripping. Cheers Lewis Loved Single All The Way - such a cute film! One of the better Netflix originals for sure. Halloween Kills was iconic for some of its gruesome kills and Kyle Richards being an icon. Other than that, it was pretty generic and the whole scene in the hospital was.... unnecessary. I didn't really like the ending either but I guess it made sense. Kyle to be the queen to kill Michael for good in the final film! It was better than the last Halloween instalment too, I think! Fingers crossed it continues that upwards trajectory - and then please end!! Honestly Kyle needs to be upgraded to main cast, sksksk. Thanks Jack!
January 14, 20223 yr Author 48. Titane directed by: Julia Ducournau starring: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh This was 50% disturbing and 50% extremely confusing yet I was absolutely hooked. I simultaneously didn't want to take my eyes off the screen but then couldn't help myself wincing and turning away every so often, lmao. The worst bit for myself was simply picturing what Alexia's baby would look like. To be fair, I think I'd made that worse in my head so it wasn't so bad in the end, aha. I thought it was going to be a mini gearstick or something. Certainly a ride from start to finish and one that'll stick with me for a long while yet. Overly gruesome in places perhaps (as soon as she started itching her pregnant belly, I was almost OUT) but it had its fair share of very interesting moments. I really did feel for the father, just looking for anyone to fit the hole left in his life by his son's disappearance. 47. Don't Look Up directed by: Adam McKay starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep The first half of the movie is definitely stronger than the second. It starts off really fun with some clever comedy, an interesting premise and some bonkers caricatures. I felt as though it lost its spark towards the middle and struggled to regain the same momentum. The jokes stopped landing and it felt a bit more disaster flick than a political tool. I loved Blanchett the most I think. Her role was stripped straight of 'The Morning Show' in the best possible way. It was nice to have Lawrence back on our screens after what feels like a quiet period too and she really made me the laugh. I love that she was the only right one throughout the entire movie but she just delivered everything in such an unhinged way, hahah. No wonder nobody believed her :') The end credits scene literally lost the movie an entire star. It felt like recent seasons of 'American Horror Story' where they just did not know when to stop. Did we need to see Streep mauled by a dino-bird OR Hill be the sole survivor of the apocalypse?! I don't think so and it just left me, as a viewer, leave the film on a stinker. Totally cheapened the message of the entire movie... and for what? An unfunny joke? 46. The Woman in the Window directed by: Joe Wright starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore I was expecting the literal worst from this but I thought it was pretty fun to be honest. Very silly and over-dramatic in places but it still had me hooked and loving every minute so I can't really complain. I love me some Amy Adams and I thought she did a pretty good job here of reeling me in. As a viewer, I was rooting for her! It was nice to see Julianne Moore pop up too, as I didn't realise how star studded the cast was when I started the film. My favourite twist was the Jane Russell 1/2 switch. I didn't see that coming at all and I liked that it all made sense still when they played the footage back later on in the film. Sometimes twists come so far out of nowhere that they don't hold up on re-watch but I think this one was pretty justified. Obsessed with Amy Adams just chucking a teenage boy through a roof and then being cured of agoraphobia in the next scene. 45. Run directed by: Aneesh Chaganty starring: Sarah Paulson, Keira Allen Entertaining enough... a fun rip-off, mash-up of 'Sharp Objects' & 'Misery' but without the originality or absurdity of either of those. Sarah Paulson plays unhinged as well as ever. To her credit, the film probably wouldn't have been so watchable without such a capable actress in the lead role. 44. Stillwater directed by: Tom McCarthy starring: Matt Damon, Camille Cottin, Abigail Breslin I was really quite dreading this after seeing the runtime but I was really pleasantly surprised with how gripping it was at times. It definitely did drag a bit in places, but I warmed a lot to the characters and there were some proper edge-of-the-seat sequences too. Maya has got to be one of the most adorable children characters in any film I've seen. I just wanted nothing bad to happen to her at all - my heart was in my mouth during the Marseille game when Akeem was spotted and you knew she was being dragged along and put in danger. Camille Cottin was lovely too but a bad bitch in all the right places too (loved it when she schooled the racist guy). Overall pretty decent & I liked that it kept you guessing on how truly innocent Abigail Breslin's character too. I've enjoyed educating myself after watching on the real-life Amanda Knox story this was loosely based on as well. Re-cap: 44. Stillwater 45. Run 46. The Woman in the Window 47. Don't Look Up 48. Titane 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way
January 16, 20223 yr Author 43. No Time to Die directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes I think I’ve come to the realisation that Bond just isn’t for me. I find it hard to pick any faults with this is a film, but it just sparks no enjoyment in me really. It’s the definition of style over substance in my eyes. Sure, there’s plenty of the fashion glamour that Bond is synonymous with - and that’s all absolutely impeccable. But a runtime of over 2 hours and 40 minutes, with barely three jokes spread across the entire thing is inexcusable, it just DRAGS! Lashana Lynch was a scene stealer right from the beginning, and was the reason behind pretty much all of my favourite scenes. The creators should make that ballsy movie properly and just have her as 007 going forward. The final act was really good though, and had me pretty hooked which meant that the loooong (long, long) wait to get there almost felt like it paid off. It was pretty heart-wrenching to see Bond go out like that, and I had really warmed to the idea of him having a family to raise after retirement. What a gut-punch. That's the reason it earns such a high placing here really. 42. Dune directed by: Denis Villeneuve starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem I think I went into watching this a little too blind and therefore had not anticipated how many characters, worlds, beasts etc. that I'd be introduced too. There was so much lore to the world of Dune that I was finding it difficult to follow at times, and the confusion made it feel overlong. Some really, really awesome moments that I think will stand out as great cinema. It makes me wish I'd seen it in IMAX or on an even larger screen than an ordinary cinema showing. The first sandworm sequence was so intense and felt like the stakes were super high. I thought Sharon Duncan-Brewster had a standout role here too. I'm gutted she was killed off. I was hoping she'd survive through to the sequel!! She was badass. I definitely see myself giving this a higher score on re-watch now I've read up on a bit more and have more of an idea what was going on. Bring on Part 2! 41. Help directed by: Marc Munden starring: Jodie Comer, Stephen Graham, Ian Hart, Sue Johnston, Lesley Sharp, Angela Griffin, David Hayman, Cathy Tyson Really devastating. Some knockout performances here from Comer & Graham - I just want the former to continue growing into a bigger and bigger star. The Liverpool setting & references to the NHS made it all feel so British which really made it hit home. Hearing about Covid statistics makes it feel removed in a sense from real people’s lives sometimes but this really drove home the huge impact on individuals who suffered from Covid and, even more so, the carers who risked their lives & mental health to be there for them. I did think the final act veered a bit into prime time television drama vibes, and felt not so realistic which was a bit unexpected. However there was some brilliant acting on show and some expertly written monologues. I felt so attached to the characters at this point that it didn’t derail the film too much for me. 40. Jungle Cruise directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti Pirates of the Caribbean-esque family fun … I’d watch a sequel but don’t think it’s the most exciting thing Disney are investing in at the moment. I was kinda surprised at how dark some scenes were. From the trailer I expected a lot of daylight jungle vibes but there were quite a lot of scenes in caves or at night which made it a bit harder to follow during all the action. Character wise; loved Emily Blunt as always - bit of a feminist icon. I love me some Jack Whitehall too so I appreciated him for some light relief. Could take or leave The Rock tbh but I’m not usually a fan either. The pet jaguar was gorgeous too, makes me want one myself. 39. In the Heights directed by: Jon M. Chu starring: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Jimmy Smits Wasn't sure what to expect from this as I am a huuuuge musical theatre fan but admittedly haven't seen this or listened to much of its soundtrack before. I was pleasantly surprised with all of the songs for sure, all of the rap style singing was really fun and the lyrics were so cheeky that it was impossible not to watch with a smile on the face. At its best, it's a really uplifting movie about the power of community and chosen family (with some brill songs too - my faves being the titular track, "96,000" and "Carnaval del Barrio"). The casting was brill too, you felt an attachment to all of the side characters no matter how large their roles were. I was hypnotised by Melissa Barrera as Vanessa Morales in the club dancing scenes. Plus, Anthony Ramos played an incredibly loveable lead. It's not hard to see why people were falling for him :') However, at its worst... it does feel a little on the long side at times & probably could've done without the Lin-Manuel Miranda cameos (his songs felt a bit out of place and didn't drive the plot forward one bit). Re-cap: 39. In the Heights 40. Jungle Cruise 41. Help 42. Dune 43. No Time to Die 44. Stillwater 45. Run 46. The Woman in the Window 47. Don't Look Up 48. Titane 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way
January 16, 20223 yr I watched Titane just last night! I won't lie, I very nearly turned it off after the first thirty minutes as it was just so wince-inducing and I didn't get the point of it, but the second half really turned it into a different movie and it was quite beautiful to see the two characters bond, the fireman especially was incredibly portrayed, a really great movie. Dune was probably my favourite movie I saw last year, though I understand it would be rather difficult to follow if you haven't read the book, I have done so and it really captured it in all its beauty. It wasn't perfect, but I'm so pleased we finally have a definitive version of Dune. I enjoyed Don't Look Up as well, I felt it got a hard time from critics, it wasn't perfect and about as subtle as a brick through the window, but it still was very effective for what it portrayed. I recall being a bigger fan of Grand Budapest Hotel, for sure. I've been meaning to check out his Fantastic Mr. Fox for years too but I've never got round to it yet. Would you still rank it as one of your least faves of his even though you did like it? Sorry I missed this earlier! I would say it was probably was if just because it was just Wes Anderson being Wes Anderson, his better movies still have a distictive style, but also have a more universal meaning.
January 17, 20223 yr Author I watched Titane just last night! I won't lie, I very nearly turned it off after the first thirty minutes as it was just so wince-inducing and I didn't get the point of it, but the second half really turned it into a different movie and it was quite beautiful to see the two characters bond, the fireman especially was incredibly portrayed, a really great movie. Dune was probably my favourite movie I saw last year, though I understand it would be rather difficult to follow if you haven't read the book, I have done so and it really captured it in all its beauty. It wasn't perfect, but I'm so pleased we finally have a definitive version of Dune. I enjoyed Don't Look Up as well, I felt it got a hard time from critics, it wasn't perfect and about as subtle as a brick through the window, but it still was very effective for what it portrayed. Sorry I missed this earlier! I would say it was probably was if just because it was just Wes Anderson being Wes Anderson, his better movies still have a distictive style, but also have a more universal meaning. Yeah, I think the second half of 'Titane' was the part where I started to really appreciate it. The mindless killings and automobile intercourse of the first half just had me thinking... eh?! I think I'm going to love Dune, Part 2 now that I actually know what I'm in for. I can massively appreciate it on a technical level still but I was wondering what was going on for the most part on my first viewing, haha. Yep, think I'm with you on that one. I think universal yet distinctive is a good way to describe his other stuff but this just felt like style over substance for the sake of it. I'm hoping he returns to form with the next project! Thanks Chez for your comments :)
January 17, 20223 yr Author 38. Passing directed by: Rebecca Hall starring: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Alexander Skarsgård Never have I felt so uncomfortable nor squirmed so much as I did during the scene where Irene is introduced to Clare's husband for the first time. My stomach was in knots as he was explaining how he gave his wife her nickname. That was one of the scenes that will stick with me always, even if the rest of the film does not. It peaked with that really though, and then started to plod along a bit more than I had hoped. There was enough to keep me going and the acting on show was really glorious but there were a few inbetween scenes that were a bit on the boring side. All in all, a strong directorial debut from Hall too and I can't wait to see what she does next behind the camera - as well as in front of it. 37. The Lost Daughter directed by: Maggie Gyllenhaal starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Domińczyk, Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris What a performance from Olivia Colman! She played such an intricate character and the whole film really rested on her. She was so deeply flawed and unpredictable at times, yet you felt really sympathetic for her at others. She aced the emotional tearing up scenes especially. Those would make for some brilliant Oscar reels. The rest of the film had a few highs and lows. I thought the tension that was created between Leda and the dangerous family holidaying with her made for some very uncomfortable scenes where my stomach was really turning. However, I didn't really like any of the times we cut to the Jessie Buckley plot. I preferred when they were snappy flashbacks like at the beginning and it lost me a bit where it evolved into its own proper storyline with more fleshed out scenes. I just wanted to jump back to Colman and her masterclass performance immediately! 36. The United States vs. Billie Holiday directed by: Lee Daniels starring: Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Leslie Jordan, Miss Lawrence, Adriane Lenox, Natasha Lyonne, Rob Morgan, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams Very glad to have watched this so I'm now aware of such an important story. I'd heard of Billie Holiday before but knew nothing of her involvement in civil rights activism and the struggles she faced because of that. It's one of those real life stories that you wish weren't so relevant over 50 years later, but still have so many parallels to situations happening across the world right now. The scene of Billie witnessing a lynching and that flowing into hearing "Strange Fruit" performed live will stick with me for a long time. Andra Day gave a brilliant performance too - giving moments of both light and shade - from her portrayal of Billie's outgoing, lively exterior to capturing some of her most incredibly raw & vulnerable moments too. 35. Cinderella directed by: Kay Cannon starring: Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, Pierce Brosnan Ready to get hate for this but I had such a wild time with this, lmao. Couldn’t tell whether the film itself was in on the joke or not. 50% tragic but 50% iconic. Sometimes it felt like it was deliberate on the self-deprecating / fourth wall breaking jokes. The other half though, we were definitely laughing AT the film rather than with it. The jukebox musical of it all was a nice twist on a story we’ve seen more than enough. “Whatta Man” was the most fun, I think. It was like a fever dream, haha. Every girl in that scene was absolutely gorgeous too. I’d have happily watched an extended cut of that musical number, lol. Minnie Driver was my favourite surprisingly. Just loved her deadpan feminist Queen, should’ve made her rule at the end. Idina Menzel was a hoot too. Her belting “Material Girl” was a moment (in fact, her just belting absolutely anything at all possible times - hahahahr). 34. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions directed by: Adam Robitel starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Deborah Ann Woll The All Stars/Catching Fire of Escape Rooms. A fun romp, with some better characters than the first movie but I'd say slightly less enjoyable on the whole. I did really enjoy the subway train concept with the alphabetical pull handles. And the set design on the beach room was really cool, that got me most excited to look out for clues and easter eggs myself. I was almost a little TOO stressed watching it too. I feel like the first film had a bit more time to breathe, but this was just constant timers and countdowns that it almost ruined the pace. It almost just felt too impossible? Like how a single one of them even survived the subway train is a miracle. Nevermind work out that bank/safe room in less than 10 minutes! I also don't really get why they got some girl who finished like 4th in the first film to create all the rooms for the first Tournament of Champions season? I get why the creators would want Zoey after she'd won twice, but why Amanda... Like bring a character back for the shock factor if you like, but that just seemed like lazy writing that didn't make much sense. Indya Moore was a brilliant addition to the cast. Not sure if it's because I love Angel from Pose with my whole heart. I'm glad they lasted a few rooms though and weren't killed off early on. Re-cap: 34. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions 35. Cinderella 36. The United States vs. Billie Holiday 37. The Lost Daughter 38. Passing 39. In the Heights 40. Jungle Cruise 41. Help 42. Dune 43. No Time to Die 44. Stillwater 45. Run 46. The Woman in the Window 47. Don't Look Up 48. Titane 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way Edited January 17, 20223 yr by Josh!
January 18, 20223 yr Author 33. Everybody's Talking About Jamie directed by: Jonathan Butterell starring: Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, Sharon Horgan, Richard E. Grant Aw, I had a lovely time with this :’) Mainly for the iconic sweetheart women!! I want a Ray, Pritti & Margaret New in my life. No wonder he turned our gay xx I always have a good time with musicals, there’s just something uplifting about it all, ain’t there? I low-key think “Work of Art” was my ultimate favourite, haha. Something special about a homophobic complete bitch of a teacher listing art & culture references in a Vogue-esque catwalk banger. Makes me want to go see the West End show now. They should’ve cast Michelle Visage in the film version to really up the campness tbh. 32. Judas and the Black Messiah directed by: Shaka King starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery, Algee Smith, Dominique Thorne, Martin Sheen I was finding this a bit difficult to follow at the very beginning but it was completely captivating once it got going. I'm glad I watched this after seeing 'Trial of Chicago 7' too, as the similarities and cross-references helped me to understand this a lot better. I didn't know much about the Black Panther party going into this but I'm grateful this exists for bringing such an important part of history to the forefront. I've spent a good hour since I got home from the cinema scrolling through multiple sources discussing the true story of Hampton and O'Neal. The shootout was especially harrowing to read about and although hard to watch - I'm glad it wasn't tamed down in the film adaptation to highlight just how insane the multitude of police bullets vs just one from the Panthers really was. Reading that the real Deborah Johnson/Akua Njeri was on set to oversee the filming of that scene makes it feel so much more authentic. 31. The Night House directed by: David Bruckner starring: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin, Vondie Curtis-Hall Phwoar, this is one of those movies where you let out such a deep breath once it’s over. Such an overarching sense of uneasiness lying in the pit of my stomach the entire time. The bodies in the floorboards, the moving scenery shaped like faces, the voodoo imagery, the use of sound and silence. It all came together to make you feel so uncomfortable - I felt sick! It did lose me a bit when it turned into The Invisible Man/Izzie Stevens shagging Denny’s ghost for 10 minutes… BUT it pulled it back with a pretty intense finale with the gun out on the boat. I also think Rebecca Hall is such an icon. She plays blasé disinterested snarky bitch so well. I could watch her on repeat. 30. Being the Ricardos directed by: Aaron Sorkin starring: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Clark Gregg I wasn't sure what to expect from this as I'm not really familiar with Lucille Ball or 'I Love Lucy' at all. I should've trusted that Sorkin would deliver though as he's always consistently good. The dialogue here being just as snappy as ever, and sprinkled with some humorous one liners. I enjoyed Kidman's performance a lot, especially when she switched the character of Lucy on during the stage performances. Those were some of my favourite little moments where we got to see the show come to life. Bardem was so charming too and it was impossible not to warm to him. It made that final scene with the lipstick on the handkerchief hit even more hard. I appreciated the old Hollywood vibe of it, the plot had plenty going for it, and both Bardem & Kidman had some really vibrant performances. Bravo! 29. West Side Story directed by: Steven Spielberg starring: Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Rachel Zegler Expertly made indeed, but feels somewhat unnecessary when a perfect original exists. This was clearly made from a place of love by Spielberg, and he does a phenomenal job really. Everything is rather breathtaking - from the choreography, to the cinematography, to the set design. It’s almost impossible to find fault really… It’s just that it came second. Ariana DeBose was my cast highlight. Impossible to take your eyes off of her during her brightest moments (“America” especially). Anita has always been my fave character though so perhaps I’m a little biased. The final act remains as gut wrenching as ever. I don’t know how I get so invested every time in this two day romance but it still gets me. :’) Re-cap: 29. West Side Story 30. Being the Ricardos 31. The Night House 32. Judas and the Black Messiah 33. Everybody's Talking About Jamie 34. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions 35. Cinderella 36. The United States vs. Billie Holiday 37. The Lost Daughter 38. Passing 39. In the Heights 40. Jungle Cruise 41. Help 42. Dune 43. No Time to Die 44. Stillwater 45. Run 46. The Woman in the Window 47. Don't Look Up 48. Titane 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way
January 19, 20223 yr I think I actually didn't hate Everybody Loves Jamie but it felt like the songs could have been produced better maybe? The actor playing Jamie didn't have the best voice IMO but Idk, I havent seen the real play so maybe I was just underwhelmed. It was far better than Dear Evan Hansen at least :lol:
January 19, 20223 yr Author I think I actually didn't hate Everybody Loves Jamie but it felt like the songs could have been produced better maybe? The actor playing Jamie didn't have the best voice IMO but Idk, I havent seen the real play so maybe I was just underwhelmed. It was far better than Dear Evan Hansen at least :lol: Yeah, I wasn't that impressed with the lead actor either really. It was the female characters were the film really peaked! Certainly better than Dear Evan Hansen though, lmao. Thanks Jaf!
January 19, 20223 yr Author 28. Roald Dahl's The Witches directed by: Robert Zemeckis starring: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Jahzir Bruno, Codie-Lei Eastick, Kristin Chenoweth Such family fun!! The witch character design was genuinely quite terrifying. I could never have watched this a child without having nightmares. Their Joker-esque smiles and gruesome toe-less feet were so cool to my adult eyes, lol (my sister did seemed to love it though, haha). Octavia Spencer was a delight to was, as ever. She's just so lovely, I want to be her friend in real life. The final shots of her on tour reminded me of the Ma memes last year where she was photoshopped into movie posters, ahaha. She knows she's a queen. Anna Hathaway was CAMP in this too. So over-exaggerated - it has to be one of the most over-the-top roles I've seen in my life. I thought Emma Thompson in Cruella was serving but this was a new level, lmaooo. Kinda sad they lived as mice for the rest of their lives though. Not the happy ending we're used to in family movies even if they tried to put a nice spin on it. 27. The Last Duel directed by: Ridley Scott starring: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck Wow, this got me really hooked towards the end. Everything from Jodie's truth onwards made for a perfect movie. I was so attached to her character by then that my heart was in my mouth when she had to make the decision between speaking out or facing the consequences. The final battle made for such intense viewing when you knew what the stakes were. I didn't know of the real story either so I just didn't know which way it'd go. It was interesting to see medieval battle styles on film too as it's not something we get to see much nowadays with all the superheroes and fast cars. The moral of the story is men are trash... and that message rings true whether it be 1386 or 2021. 26. Boxing Day directed by: Aml Ameen starring: Aml Ameen, Aja Naomi King, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tamara Lawrance This was so much more iconic than it had the right to be, lmaooo. When it turned into Feud Season 2: Leigh-Anne Pinnock vs. Aja Naomi-King! Wow - I was hooked. Sooooo many cast highlights that it’s insane. The sister/bestfriend was my absolute fave for being a queen and always looking flawless. Naomi-King was so relatable and likeable - we’ve all been the odd one out at a family party. Leigh-Anne’s vocals were so strong in her some of her numbers. The mother was serving. The younger bro was super cute and personable too that I didn’t even mind his side story (even though it didn’t add much to the overall storyline). Just loved the whole family… drama aside, I’d love to go to a Christmas there. It looked so much fun and put such a smile on my face. My main gripe is that the lead actor never really showed he loved his baby mama that much tbh. Like I was still thinking he’d choose Leigh-Anne right up until he didn’t. It barely made sense when everyone was commenting on how much and he loved her and I was thinking WHERE? 25. Encanto directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard starring: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama So vibrant and colourful that it puts an easy smile on your face. The house itself was almost my favourite character - I loved its little quirks and hints of personality. I’d wanna live there so bad!!! Whether I had a power or not, haha. Mirabel was a really engaging lead character and will be a great addition to our existing Disney princesses/leading ladies. She was just really cute and had a glass half full attitude always… despite being the only one with no power, and her family constantly sh*tting on her. Some of the songs were fab too. My main highlights being “We Don't Talk About Bruno" and “What Else Can I Do?”. I especially adored the latter as it was just so gorgeously animated on-screen. The splashes of colour and paint whilst exotic cacti and palm trees sprouted left, right & centre was a delight to watch. A bit thin on plot at times and everything seemed to wrap up pretty neatly and quickly at the end. Especially the Abuela character who does a huge positive character U-turn literally seconds after her house crumbles? That felt like it came a bit out of nowhere. This was so cute the second time watching it too. I think watching it alongside my family at Christmas made it hit a bit harder. The finale scene of them all coming together to give Mirabel her own door-knob - awww!! Thank God for subtitles as well, haha. I actually got to enjoy 'The Family Madrigal' this time because of how fast those final few verses are! Re-cap: 25. Encanto 26. Boxing Day 27. The Last Duel 28. Roald Dahl's The Witches 29. West Side Story 30. Being the Ricardos 31. The Night House 32. Judas and the Black Messiah 33. Everybody's Talking About Jamie 34. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions 35. Cinderella 36. The United States vs. Billie Holiday 37. The Lost Daughter 38. Passing 39. In the Heights 40. Jungle Cruise 41. Help 42. Dune 43. No Time to Die 44. Stillwater 45. Run 46. The Woman in the Window 47. Don't Look Up 48. Titane 49. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 50. Single All the Way Edited January 19, 20223 yr by Josh!
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