2024

  1. The Banshees of Inisherin (9/10): Enjoyed it far more this time around. Beautiful cinematography, incredible acting and a seemingly simple story that contains many overlapping layers and themes within it, each a pleasure to explore and watch unfurl, and each so complex that they warrant a longer bit of writing. Maybe it resonated a little more this time around having spent a lot of time with my granddad and father - something about (the virtues and perils of) stubbornness.

  2. Saltburn (6/10): Entertaining, good acting, but felt like it was trying a little too hard, took itself a little too seriously, and tried to be provocative for the sake of it. I felt (maybe unfairly) that it took inspiration from several far better movies (American Psycho; Reservoir Dogs; Mother; The Talented Mr. Ripley; see also: List of Movies Where a Charming Psychopath Dances to an Upbeat Song), but failed to deliver the same political, social or emotional punch. As a result, it felt like a well-produced pastiche of that genre without enough substance to make it work, or to justify how seriously it seemed to take itself. I did love the first twist, but the `final reveal’ was laid on incredibly thick.

  3. Daniel (7.5/10): A beautifully told and deeply personal story. This movie is a product of love, and that love seeps through every single scene. Moving, reflective, thought-provoking. Much respect for the family who worked on this movie and had to work with an overwhelming amount of footage, most of which I’m sure was difficult to watch. On a personal note, I liked seeing the shots of Vancouver. I can see how the `curse’ aspect of the story can seem out of place, but I loved how it (along with the `narrator writing himself out of a story’ portion of the movie) gave me a visceral insight into what such a profound loss of control must feel like, and the lengths you might go to to regain power over the story of your life.

  4. Sherpa (9.5/10): The Khumbu ice fall as a picket line. A class-conscious movie about the exploitation, dehumanization and spiritual emptiness inherent to a capitalist approach to `the great outdoors’ and the `objective’-fication of nature. Watching at the Movie Garden in Pokhara with a hot rum punch definitely added to the experience and may have biased my rating a little.

8. Terminator (9/10):

9. Zone of Interest (9/10):

10. Dune 2 (7.5/10):

11. Death of Stalin (8/10):

12. Weird: The Al Yankovic Biopic (6.5)

13. Furiosa (8)

14. Terminator 2 (9.5/10)

15. Civil War (8)

5. Happiness (9/10): Very good satire, and a very funny movie. Completely original, a fantastic script and incredible acting. A look into the modern human experience, portraying our worst insecurities and deepest loneliness. It reminded me of American Beauty and Louie, in how it captures middle class malaise and effectively uses morbid humour. Also a very harrowing movie, and not one I would recommend to just anyone. I think there are scenes in there that would be particularly difficult to watch for some. Nevertheless, I don’t think this movie punches down, and instead tackles difficult topics with humor, honesty and sophistication.

6. All of Us Strangers (7/10): A beautiful movie. Aspects of it were incredibly well done and original: the tower of flats on the outskirts of London which is completely empty but for the two lonely, isolated and hurt individuals living inside of it; the visceral depiction of abandonment and loss. I liked other parts less. I felt that the scenes with the parents weren’t very convincing - I can’t tell if it was the acting, the script or the choice of actors (I suspect all of the above) but it felt cheesy, contrived and a little flat. The ending was unnecessary to make the point of the movie, and ending it on “The Power of Love” was very on the nose and made me roll my eyes. Some of the dialogue made me giggle with how sincere and cheesy it was at times.

7. Swingers (8/10): A rewatch for me, although the last time I’d seen it was about 9 years ago. Far from a perfect, but still a wonderful and heartfelt indie movie. I like that it allows its characters to be complex: obviously flawed, not people I would want to spend any time with, and yet compassionate and caring people at heart that you know will probably turn out okay. A realistic depiction of what it’s like to be in your early 20s and in a period of transition: the different ways that insecurities manifest themselves in yourself and the people around you; the contrast between expectations (of clubs, of nights out, of dating, of moving to a new place to make something for yourself) and reality; the importance of the people you surround yourself with; finding what’s real and important amidst the vapidity and isolation of big city life (and LA in particular).  I love how it portrays male friendships and I think we need more of that: yes, they are assholes, but they care and show up for each other in very vulnerable ways. I like that it’s imperfect - I like that you can see the camera lose focus sometimes, or that the audio isn’t mixed very well. It feels like somebody’s early foray into film making, and I love that it has that quality to it: not too highly produced, not too perfect, a little rough around the edges, but lots of good stuff in there.