Movies I've Seen 2016
List activity
222 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
56 titles
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.5/5 An incredible and majestic experience that is as abstract as it is emotional. Movies don't get more original, unpredictable, or ambitious than this. Denis Villeneuve orchestrates all the visual and sonic elements of cinema to captivate and transport audiences in a way few directors can. Arrival is likely to go down as my favorite movie of the year and as one of the best sci-fi movies ever.
The wonder and awe of extraterrestrial life is extremely fascinating on screen when done right. Spielberg has certainly achieved it with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Denis Villeneuve is right on par with this film. It isn't one big crescendo like that film is, instead revealing the aliens towards the beginning, and building concept and story after. Arrival starts off as an awe inspiring experience and only goes up from there. The director's last film Sicario kept topping itself off, scene after scene, even when you think the last one can't be beat, and Arrival does the same, but on an even larger scale.
One scene involves the characters entering the ship, where they travel up a lift and into a vertical cave with a white wall at the end that the aliens are behind. This scene is way longer than it could be, but it's done with such intensity and suspense to really make you feel like you're traveling with the characters into unknown territory, and it's beautiful.
The atmosphere is so powerful from scene to scene, from the fog stretching over the mountains in the Montana location to the interior of the spacecraft. Johann Johannson's score is other-worldly, unsettling, creative, and majestic, adds a lot to the atmosphere without ever feeling intrusive. It often resembles the low moans of the aliens and the dark abyss of space.
Amy Adams's character carries a lot of the emotional weight of the film without going for tears or obvious emotion. For how abstract and philosophical the film can get, it miraculously keeps itself grounded in reality and in humanity in a way most audiences should be able to connect to. It achieves exactly what Interstellar wished it did, and captures the same epic-ness of that film while mostly taking place within a square mile. There is political subtext about fear of foreign life that could easily be applied to the immigration and refugee conversations we're having today, about language and perspective, but even greater is the multidimensional lesson about our human condition. I would elaborate, but I certainly don't want to spoil anything.
This film unfolds in such a surprising way, it's among the most unpredictable and surprising movies I've seen, and the trailers certainly show very little. It reaches out so far and comes back with so much, managing to ground what it grabs in humanity. It's also surprising on a surface level, with twists that may shock you, but not in a way that draws attention to itself being a twist. The story takes you on a roller coaster and gives you absolutely everything you could ask for within its runtime, which is a concise two hours.
Arrival has been getting a good share of critical praise, but I still feel like it's underwhelming compared to the experience I had. In every way, Arrival is the best of what cinema has to offer, and it's difficult to think of a film so simultaneously ambitious, thrilling, and emotional since Gravity. It gives you cinematic cake to eat up while you're watching, and afterwards gives you a lot to think about and discuss. One of the best of this decade so far. - DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsPaul DanoDaniel RadcliffeMary Elizabeth WinsteadA hopeless man stranded on a deserted island befriends a dead body, and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.5/5 A completely bizarre philosophical treat that surpassed my expectations in every way.
What most people know about the film is that Paul Dano uses a farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe to get home from a stranded island, but it's a lot more than that, and so is Radcliffe's corpse. I am not a fan of fart jokes, I hate typing the word fart, but for the sake of this movie and its message, I have to do it. I didn't expect to be a fan of the crudeness of this movie, and the crude jokes weren't my favorite part, but they are unbelievably justified in such an unexpected way that it turned a mirror on me and my own disdain for fart jokes. I can only applaud a film that makes me reconsider my own reaction to its first ten minutes.
While I found this movie to be extremely thought provoking, it's also flat out entertaining and fun. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are funny and have a very deep chemistry together. Watching this film follow its own rules and be so strange is not only fun, but triumphant because it's a celebration of oddness. I was surprised with the amount of heart the movie has, making it an emotional treat as well as an intellectual one.
The film is a very ambitious exploration of themes such as life and death, fear and love. The philosophical ambition recalls some of my favorite movies like The Tree of Life and Synecdoche New York, and the film's many ideas come together with masterful consistency. Not to say that this is one of my all time favorite movies, but it is rare that a film feels like it contains its own philosophical manifesto in the way that Swiss Army Man does.
It's a kind of transcendental experience in many ways, reflecting on what life really is and the fears that society creates about being gross or weird even when it's really just authentic. It reveals the restrictions societal norms place on our happiness. It's beautiful to see Hank and Manny embrace their true beings in the isolated forest, unafraid of judgement, happier than they've ever been.
This film being weird is itself is actually it embracing its own ideas. If you are repelled by it, or if you cringe at the crudeness, you're not listening. I cringed, but I listened, and then I understood, and it was fantastic. Nothing in the film is weird for the sake of being weird, either. Manny's body (Daniel Radcliffe) isn't just a funny talking dead body. Rather, the character represents the perspective of death, but not in a morbid way. Much of the film follows Hank (Paul Dano) as he tries to explain to Manny the ways of society as the two travel back home. On their journey, they reconsider what society really is, what it means to be human, and if society is really the best place to be human.
I found Swiss Army Man to be about a lot of different things, and yet all of its ideas come together in a coherent whole. The lines between life and death are blurred throughout the film, where Hank's character is learning the beauty of death and incorporating that perspective into living a better life, while Manny learns of the fear that society creates about living this way. The meshing of these two states brings up questions about how this fear of judgement is often what keeps love out of our reach. The very act of fear, of avoiding rejection or death, is ironically what left Hank where he was at the film's beginning, with a noose around his neck, afraid of life without love. Hank and Manny begin to reject these fears, seeing what a beautiful world there is beyond them. In realizing the beauty of death, they are able to create love and therefore live life.
Swiss Army Man is an inspiring and transcendent journey. Even though the world Manny and Hank dream of will never exist, the film gives us a glimpse of that, making it a unique, must see experience. - DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.5/5
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.5/5
- DirectorTrey Edward ShultsStarsKrisha FairchildAlex DobrenkoRobyn FairchildKrisha returns for Thanksgiving dinner after ten years away from her family, but past demons threaten to ruin the festivities.5/5 This micro-budget debut from Trey Edward Shults is one of the most powerful and humane movies in recent memory. This is a "holy *beep* movie unlike anything you've ever seen that is absolutely worth taking a chance on.
Krisha is that member of the family who struggles to have her life together. She is addicted to alcohol and are dealing with many emotional problems and self loathing. In short, she's a complete mess. The reasons for this are mostly ambiguous, and though that leave some curious, it serves to generalize Krisha's character. The film takes place around Thanksgiving, when she hopes to redeem herself to her family after a long hiatus of what she calls self healing.
This is a film of remarkable empathy, and it only makes sense that the film is based on Trey Edward Shults' real family, with actual family members having roles. Shults even plays Krisha's son with his own name. Shults is able to place you deep inside of the skin of the Krisha, and through his masterful control, we feel all of her fears, anxieties, and self loathing. The film no less than captures what it's like to be the *beep* up of the family *beep* up. Only through a deep and intricate understanding of that kind of person can a filmmaker put the audience in her shoes, and that's exactly what Shults does. Never has a movie made me feel so much like I was experiencing what the protagonist was experiencing. Truly, you may come out of the theater a better, more empathetic person.
The beautiful cinematography features long tracking shots, long static shots, slow zooms, montage, all kinds of styles completely different from one another, but all of which work together seamlessly for tremendous effect. Brian McOmber's score works in the same way: it's jittery and syncopated when Krisha feels anxious towards the beginning, and more luscious and full during emotional scenes towards the end. Through the editing we see how she thinks or how she plays back a recent conversation in her head through her personal filter. When the editing is disjointed, time blends together to create the mental state of Krisha, and the emotional impact can be devastating. Every artistic choice from every area of production is perfectly orchestrated to make the audience feel the pain and disorder Krisha feels, even if that's something they've never experienced before.
Of course, the film wouldn't be what it is without Krisha Fairchild, who plays Krisha. Her performance is unreal in its authenticity. It's a performance with all the anxiety of Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream or Essie Davis in The Babadook, but without all the sweating and screaming. Fairchild doesn't need to do that to show us that she's messed up, all she needs to do is show us how she's human. As absent of likable traits as her character is, we are meant to empathize with her, even to go beyond empathy into complete understanding- maybe not of what she's been through, but how it feels to be her in these moments. We feel what it's like to be a victim of one's own past, of addiction, of anxieties, and of one's self, trapped in a body and a circumstance that is impossible to escape from.
The film acts as a love letter to Krisha and others like her. This movie is their hug, and after watching it, you'll know why they need one. Krisha has no achievements or qualities that make us like her, but Shults shows us that we don't need any of that to empathize with her. We just need to know what it feels like to be her, and that's what this film achieves. Just like the audience, Krisha's family sees little reason to have her around at times, and she may be a burden, but they love her and hope for her best. Krisha's low self esteem blinds her to this truth, and it's heartbreaking as an audience member to see the love people unconditionally have for her, and for her not to recognize it.
This movie was an unforgettable little miracle that puts you on an emotional roller coaster. It's only March, but this is certain to be one of the year's very best films. - DirectorMike BirbigliaStarsKeegan-Michael KeyGillian JacobsMike BirbigliaWhen a member of a popular New York City improv troupe gets a huge break, the rest of the group - all best friends - start to realize that not everyone is going to make it after all.5/5 The film follows an improv comedy group of adults in their twenties, whose realize it's time to enter "real" adulthood. What makes this film unique is that all the characters are experiencing this transition point in different ways. The film understands that there is no one way to live your twenties, or to transition into your thirties. Everyone experiences things differently, and it's refreshing to see a movie acknowledge this, considering many films create worlds where there's one solution for everyone.
Most of the characters hope to be on the movie's version of SNL, Weekend Live. It's difficult for many of the characters to accept the flow their lives are headed in, because for most, it's not quite where they hoped it would go.
One area where the film succeeds is in its character development, and how each characters' unique experience contributes to a similar whole. Jack makes it onto Weekend Live, Miles still hopes to at least land a writing role although he's in his mid 30s, and Samantha isn't sure she wants anything but to stay where she is. There is no one direction the characters move in, but all share the struggle of finding out where they're going in life, even as that means giving up on old dreams and accepting change.
The film describes the beauty of improv as creating a moment, in the moment, that will never occur again. Mike Birbiglia's direction and the performances contain a lot of improvisation, and give the film a sense of spontaneity that mirrors the flow of the characters' lives.
Like many millennials in arts schools today, the characters chase lofty dreams that probably won't come true, and although that sounds really negative, this film shows how it isn't. I think this movie is about chasing your dreams while you can chase them, and accepting signs that your life is not meant to go there, if those signs come. Don't Think Twice is a very optimistic movie that trusts in the universe to place you where you're meant to be, whether that's where you thought it would be, or not. The beauty in life, after all, is the spontaneity. - DirectorJacques AudiardStarsJesuthasan AntonythasanKalieaswari SrinivasanClaudine VinasithambyDheepan is a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who flees to France and ends up working as a caretaker outside Paris.5/5 A powerful drama that humanizes the refugee experience and explores themes of free will and circumstance, all leading up to an incredibly powerful climax. It's a relevant, politically minded film, but a universal story above all else thanks to Audiard's emotionally motivated direction. The two lead actors as well as Vincent Rottiers give quiet, perfect performances. Nicholas Jaar's ambient score is also beautiful and worthy of mention as a fan of his music. I'd say the Palme D'or was well deserved.
- DirectorNate ParkerStarsNate ParkerArmie HammerPenelope Ann MillerNat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.5/5
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsBlake JennerTyler HoechlinRyan GuzmanIn 1980, a group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood.4.5/5 A movie about 80's baseball bros that, as it turns out, is subtly beautiful. Richard Linklater's latest is similar to many of his films in its lack of a structure, and as always, he uses that to enhance the meaning of his films. With Everybody Wants Some, we never want the film to go anywhere because it's just so much fun to be in, and that's precisely the point of the movie.
On the surface, this is just a plain fun movie even if you have no 80's nostalgia. Every though there's little progression to the story, each scene keeps the energy high with witty dialogue, partying, and a fun gang of characters who we really come to like. Everyone feels like a real, unique individual, even though most are not very deep. This isn't a bad thing. Most artists write struggling, deep characters with emotional turmoil, but Linklater avoids that here. He celebrates life lived in the moment, without worry. It's a rare tribute to people who only want to have fun, something artists tend to condescend to.
For the most part, Everybody Wants Some is out to entertain. Much of the film is fun for fun's sake, most of the dialogue entertaining simply to be entertaining. However, Linklater slips in a few deep lines here and there that keep you thinking about what the movie is trying to say. In many ways, it's about self discovery and identity. Identity changes between different types of parties as the characters go with the flow of their surroundings. At first, I found it curious that this wanted to be a film about knowing one's self, yet the self changes so much and there's really no introspection. However, this is no ordinary self discovery film. What the film is really saying is that to know yourself is to feel that you're alive, and this film convinces you of that just by how fun it is. - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsAndrew GarfieldAdam DriverLiam NeesonIn the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.4.5/5
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.4.5/5
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsSam NeillJulian DennisonRima Te WiataA national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.4.5/5
- DirectorKelly Fremon CraigStarsHailee SteinfeldHaley Lu RichardsonBlake JennerHigh-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.4.5/5
- DirectorByron HowardRich MooreJared BushStarsGinnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris ElbaIn a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.4.5/5 A surprisingly insightful look at modern systemic and covert racism and sexism, and the lie of the American dream that's also really fun and has great characters.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJoel EdgertonKirsten DunstA father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.4.5/5 Lots of great tension throughout pays off emotionally at its abstract and perfectly ambiguous climax. Kind of like Close Encounters, maybe almost too much like close encounters.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.4.5/5
- DirectorPablo LarraínStarsAlfredo CastroRoberto FaríasAntonia ZegersA crisis counselor is sent by the Catholic Church to a small Chilean beach town where disgraced priests and nuns, suspected of crimes ranging from child abuse to baby-snatching from unwed mothers, live secluded, after an incident occurs.4.5/5 An excellent portrait of how religion can be abused to protect one's view of their past.
- DirectorMike MillsStarsAnnette BeningElle FanningGreta GerwigThe story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979.4.5/5
- DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.4/5
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsSasha LaneShia LaBeoufRiley KeoughA teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.4/5
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineBen FosterJeff BridgesToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.4/5
- DirectorCiro GuerraStarsNilbio TorresJan BijvoetAntonio BolívarThe story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of forty years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant.4/5 Compelling and thought provoking spiritual movie
- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsLewis MacDougallSigourney WeaverFelicity JonesConor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.4/5
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.4/5
- DirectorFede AlvarezStarsStephen LangJane LevyDylan MinnetteHoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.4/5 An intense and often terrifying experience. Don't Breathe is unrelenting for most of its runtime with tension and scares without using any supernatural elements or knives. You'll find yourself sinking into your seat, making as little noise as possible.
Part of what makes the film work is its atmosphere. The cinematography really makes you feel like you're in a dark, unfamiliar house at night. Many films fail to capture darkness without it feeling artificial. The score is excellent, pulsing with the rhythm of the film's tension. Fede Alvarez's direction allows the audience to experience what it's like to be in the house with these characters, making the film scary as it is.
It's also very inventive and smart with its premise. Unlike many horror movies, you always understand why the characters are doing what they're doing. When they decide to go in the basement, you're like, "good idea". That's an achievement.
Don't Breathe is a roller coaster because it goes in a ton of different places with its fairly bare bones premise, and you're on board the whole way. It also sets up its characters very well. The film doesn't get bogged down with flat character development, but it helps us to feel the stakes, understand their intentions, and want them to live very much. Even 30 minutes in, you hope they'll make it out a door even though that would cut the movie short, just because you want them to get the hell out so bad.
The tension is kept high for very, very long periods of time. It's practically unrelenting the entire time they're in the house. The film is very careful not to repeat itself and knows how to keep things rolling. There is a scene towards the end of the movie however, that felt unnecessary, didn't fit in with the tone, and just wasn't as scary as other parts. The film could have wrapped up a little earlier, since the end isn't as exciting as the rest.
The film mostly does an excellent job of burning all bridges, but there was one moment where they burned a bridge, then kind of took it, and I couldn't shake how it bothered me, even though it was small.
Don't Breathe is one of the most intense horror movies I've seen, and that's pretty much all I could have asked for going into it. - DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.4/5 An extremely tense and well written thriller. Your eyes will be glued to the screen the entire film because mystery and character tensions are always distressingly high.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is great as the crafty and smart protagonist, elevating her character far beyond the typical damsel in distress. John Gallagher Jr. is swell as well, but make no mistake, John Goodman consistently steals the show. His character is completely ambiguous in his intentions and sanity, and has a frightening temper. It's a fun character to watch because Howard is so well written, but Goodman brings such life to him that it would be hard to see any other actor in the role. We can only hope that his performance will be remembered come next year's awards.
What makes the film so intense is that it's extremely difficult to figure out. We are unclear as to what's going on outside, if Howard is lying, if he's sane, what his intentions are, and what the heck is Michelle going to do next. She finds herself in situations that feel impossible for her to come out of, but the film always has a way of cleverly making them work, even if sometimes things are too convenient.
This is a total thrill to watch. A roller coaster of mystery. The ending, which cannot be spoiled, shifts gears a bit, and I liked where it went overall, but some things were "eh". That's all I'll say. But I'll also say that you should definitely see 10 Cloverfield Lane. - DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.4/5 Well acted, very enjoyable, and sweet.
- DirectorPablo LarraínStarsNatalie PortmanPeter SarsgaardGreta GerwigFollowing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.4/5
- DirectorJames SchamusStarsLogan LermanSarah GadonTijuana RicksIn 1951, Marcus, a working-class Jewish student from New Jersey, attends a small Ohio college, where he struggles with sexual repression and cultural disaffection, amid the ongoing Korean War.4/5
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.4/5
- DirectorTim MillerStarsRyan ReynoldsMorena BaccarinT.J. MillerA wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal yet hideously scarred, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.4/5 A fun movie from start to finish, Deadpool should be perfect for fans, serving as a good comedy and action movie all at once.
I was a little worried that Deadpool would feel defined by its R-rating, and make a bunch of raunchy jokes for the rating's sake. But as it turns out, the writers have a unique sense of humor that works for more than just its profanity level. A lot of the humor is in the film's self-awareness and playfulness, its constant pop culture referencing, and uninhibited urge to make a sex joke out of everything. For me it wasn't like, hilarious, but the audience was howling and hooting and I was like, "that's earned". It's probably more of a comedy than anything else, and it's a surprisingly clever one.
Ryan Reynolds is perfect as Deadpool, tapping right into the writer's brand of humor and delivering it with genuine wit. Reynolds paints the character with just the right amount of unlikeability where we like him even though he's a dick a lot of the time.
The action is very well spaced throughout. Unlike most superhero films, the in-between of action sequences is just as important as the action, because it's consistently on its toes with jokes. When the action arrives, it maintains a sense of playfulness and is cool otherwise, with clever uses of slow and super slow motion and fourth wall breaking. It was nice that the film was reserved in its use of CGI, and didn't feel the need to have a big computer generated climax.
For all of the conventions that Deadpool takes pleasure in breaking, there are still a fair share of them. The villains are incredibly flat, and the film surprisingly doesn't take the easy shot to make fun of how cliché they are. The romantic aspect is un-involving and feels completely secondary to everything else. His girlfriend isn't very developed, and this movie doesn't do much for its female characters in general.
Overall, it's a well paced and very fun film with a better balance between action and comedy than most movies I can think of. - DirectorJames WanStarsVera FarmigaPatrick WilsonMadison WolfeEd and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.4/5 Surprisingly satisfying, with lots of scares spread well throughout its 2+hour runtime. The moments it spends with characters in the second half even pay off.
- DirectorMike FlanaganStarsJohn Gallagher Jr.Kate SiegelMichael TruccoA deaf and mute writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.4/5
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.4/5 Nothing about the first half to write home about. The violence is very brutal and well done, and actually adds to the story and stakes. The true story it's based on is inspiring and the movie does it justice, but doesn't exactly do anything you wouldn't expect.
- DirectorKelly ReichardtStarsMichelle WilliamsKristen StewartLaura DernThe lives of three women intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail.3.5/5 The third story is some of the best cinema I've seen all year. So seeped in loneliness. Incredible. But the first two stories... meh?
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.3.5/5 It's very enjoyable with all its quirks and clever world building. However, it doesn't have a strong enough connection to the real world and the way relationships actually are to say what it wants to say effectively.
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonViola DavisStephen McKinley HendersonA working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.3.5/5
- DirectorGavin HoodStarsHelen MirrenAaron PaulAlan RickmanCol. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.4/5 Certainly not the "Drones are bad" fest I thought it would be. It actually presents fair arguments for all sides of the situation, and presents an extremely complex moral dilemma.
The film's first act felt a little long, and purposeless. There wasn't anything very interesting about the movie until it presented the problem, and it didn't help that the direction sometimes has the feel of any generic political thriller. However, when the film starts to pick up it doesn't let go for the rest of its runtime.
Surprisingly good at presenting every angle of this case, where 80 people's lives may be at stake if they wait for one little girl to move out of the way. It was very difficult to pick a side in the matter, and the film throws a few very intriguing arguments at you in the meantime, such as the propaganda argument that may make you rethink protesting drone strikes.
Overall this was a very tense, sometimes emotionally distressing film. It maybe lacks a call to action, but it presents a bleak portrait of what the modern drone war looks like. - DirectorTravis KnightStarsCharlize TheronArt ParkinsonMatthew McConaugheyA young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armour worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.3.5/5
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsRuth NeggaJoel EdgertonWill DaltonThe story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.3.5/5
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsNeel SethiBill MurrayBen KingsleyAfter a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.3.5/5 Everything about the way the animals look and feel on screen is amazing. This practically animated movie uses CGI really well to transport the audience into a cute and exciting land that provokes a sense of wonder.
However, the story doesn't come very close to matching the visual achievement. On a surface level, the things that happen aren't very remarkable or original. There's no strong feeling of stakes, and the story feels like it just goes in random directions sometimes. Mogely's character has a surprising lack of internal conflict, and barley seems concerned with his external conflicts. There are a fair share of clichés and obvious plot devices, and overall the film isn't very strong on paper.
What Jon Favreau does off the paper is what makes The Jungle Book special. Despite the underwhelming story, it's hard not to have fun with the film and to appreciate the atmospheres and realistic animals. Would certainly recommend the experience, but don't expect anything groundbreaking with the story, or the couple of songs they just threw in. - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyAlden EhrenreichA Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.3.5/5 A fun ensemble movie that shines brightest when it has its biggest set pieces. The Coen brothers give us some funny dialogue and a unique plot, but there's not much depth for any of the characters. Channing Tatum and George Clooney are the most fun to watch, and their performances, like the film itself, work best on the surface. The Coens have not abandoned their search for meaning with this film, however, it's too difficult to figure out what it is they want to say. The film is no doubt a commentary on Hollywood, but it is an unfocused and deliberately unclear one. But there are several funny and bizarre moments that make Hail, Caesar! well worth watching. It's hard to imagine any directors recreating 50s Hollywood sets the way the Coen brothers have, who simultaneously make fun of and have fun with them.
- DirectorAndrew StantonAngus MacLaneStarsEllen DeGeneresAlbert BrooksEd O'NeillFriendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.3.5/5 An entertaining adventure, but certainly ranks among the lesser Pixar films right next to Monsters U and Good Dinosaur. Finding Dory doesn't have the magic or the heart to become a Classic like Finding Nemo, and instead feels often like a TV episode.
It's nice to be immersed in Pixar's fish world again and to meet some new characters. Hank is the best new character, and his sliminess and awkward agility make him fun to watch. Even though he's not the nicest, he manages to earn your heart. Ellen's voice acting gives Dory all the life we saw from the first film, as does Albert Brooks as Marlin. Nemo doesn't really do *beep* he just says stuff that the movie didn't want Marlin to say.
Solid adventures here, a couple plot turns that were actually surprising and took the movie in good directions. For the seemingly small scale of the aquarium rescue parents dilemma, the adventure is actually larger than expected. The movie ends with a solid message about following your instinct, and it expands upon the meaning of "just keep swimming".
The whole journey is satisfying, but it's distinctly less accomplished than the many Pixar greats. It has the feeling of being a bit of a forced sequel and trying to come up with a "finding" plot, and you might not feel yourself as attached to the characters as you did in the original film. You like them in a lighthearted way, like ah Dory's good, they're good people, but not like, I know them, I love these people now, I've been with them through so much. It does more than it could have, but not as much as it should have. - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsElle FanningChristina HendricksKeanu ReevesAn aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.3.5/5 Like many of Refn's other films, it's a visual treat, and thin on substance. Your enjoyment of the movie will probably come down to how much you enjoy hyper stylized visual storytelling and oddness.
While there is vague commentary on the fashion industry and how society values beauty, it doesn't feel like it's saying anything that original that it would be worth dissecting. It's a pretty obvious message masqueraded under visual metaphors and symbols to make it look like it's extremely complex.
There's unmistakeable intention to Refn's storytelling that keeps it from feeling like randomness, and there is a linear story that you can latch on to. But the film can't help but have its drawn out and seemingly meandering moments. The 2 hour runtime feels unnecessary, and it should have been 30 minutes shorter because it can be difficult to maintain attention to a film that's thin on story and character development.
However, accepting that this is a visual ride, I was able to enjoy The Neon Demon. Every frame and every scene is nicely textured and colored like visual music. It's not just great because it's meticulously crafted, but because there's a distinct flavor to everything that adds to this neon colored, glossy fashion madness. With mirrors. Cliff Martinez's pulsating, glittery, eerie techno score fits perfectly with the tone of the film, and an enjoyable accompaniment to the visuals.
Refn is a rare director who can create films that are so visually immersive that you can put the story aside and enjoy it as a surreal tone piece. Refn is a director whose films I will always go see, even knowing there's going to be a lacking story. - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.3.5/5 Well crafted, had great attention to character, and was sometimes pretty scary, but I can sympathize with audiences who thought the movie was boring and didn't pay off.
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.3.5/5 It just wants to be bloody and that's not really much of anything, especially when it doesn't happen to build tension that well
- DirectorWhit StillmanStarsKate BeckinsaleChloë SevignyXavier SamuelLady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica--and herself too, naturally.3/5 Honestly this Shakespearey stuff isn't my thing. I didn't laugh a lot because the humor is just so subtle, and that's not bad, but come on, don't tell me you were howling that's just a lie.
- DirectorTerrence MalickStarsChristian BaleCate BlanchettNatalie PortmanA writer indulging in all that Los Angeles and Las Vegas have to offer, undertakes a search for love and self via a series of adventures with six different women.3/5 Feels very static and uneventful for a Malick movie. To The Wonder at least had some different characters, but this one is just Bale wondering where he is, hardly seeming to be tempted into adopting any ideology, and leaving the audience without much to engage with.
As always, however, I love the cinematography, the sound, the editing, and just Malick's style in general. I do think this movie has depth, but it's only interesting to think about for a short bit because it's a fairly forgettable movie. - DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsBlake LivelyÓscar JaenadaAngelo Josue Lozano CorzoA mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.3/5
- DirectorAnna Rose HolmerStarsRoyalty HightowerAlexis NeblettDa'Sean MinorWhile training at the gym 11-year-old tomboy Toni becomes entranced with a dance troupe. As she struggles to fit in she finds herself caught up in danger as the group begins to suffer from fainting spells and other violent fits.3/5
- DirectorDavid F. SandbergStarsTeresa PalmerGabriel BatemanMaria BelloRebecca must unlock the terror behind her little brother's experiences that once tested her sanity, bringing her face to face with a supernatural spirit attached to their mother.3/5 Has enough good scares to make up for a mediocre script. The premise might initially seem like it would tire out, but the film comes up with some inventive ways to keep it fresh throughout. The monster in general makes for good scares because it is able to travel in multiple places since it's kind of metaphorical, and it actually attacks people it gets near instead of approaching them so they can die off screen.
A lot of the dialogue is mediocre and the film doesn't find a balance between how real or how metaphorical the monster really is. It's physically harmful, yet it's a mental figure that represents depression. The film doesn't really say anything interesting with this depression metaphor, and the film's end (which I won't spoil) actually has a terrible message when you read it metaphorically.
The acting is on and off as well, and none of the characters are given much depth. The beginning doesn't offer a lot of scary moments, but this can be forgiven for the film's final 30 minutes which offer some solid and inventive scares. - DirectorConrad VernonGreg TiernanStarsSeth RogenKristen WiigJonah HillA sausage leads a group of supermarket products on a journey to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they are picked off the shelf.2.5/5 Most of the humor can be summarized into swear words, violence, drugs, and sex jokes. AKA naughty ass *beep* The appeal here is supposed to be that it looks like a kids movie but it's adult stuff. The movie doesn't go very far beyond that appeal.
I appreciate the energy of this movie, I appreciate that it wants to be over the top and be just a dumb movie, but the problem for me was that I didn't laugh a lot at all.
The dirty jokes and swear words feel forced, like the movie is just cramming these jokes in as hard as they can just for the sake of it. The movie just assumes that everything is funny because it's a sex joke, or because someone says *beep* or because a food dies. The very fact that these things are naughty and not for kids is supposed to make them funny for some reason.
It swears every second, yet expects the audience to laugh when a food shouts "OH *beep* It was irritating how often the movie cursed because you could feel them just squeezing two curse words into a sentence that needed none.
If you think the idea of Spongebob smoking a bong is funny, if you still think Happy Tree Friends is funny, if you think the idea of Barney saying the "*beep*" is funny, then this movie is for you and you'll laugh yourself silly and have a good old time.
Personal preference: me no think very funny. If you loved the trailer, you'll probably love the movie. If you don't think the trailer is funny, you probably will feel more like me.
That being said, I can't say I had a bad time at this movie. Though I didn't laugh, there was more to enjoy about the story than I initially expected. I enjoyed it the same way I enjoy other energetic animated movies. It's fun to watch, I was curious to see where the original concept and adventure would go, and it was always entertaining. For me, it failed as a comedy, but it didn't necessarily fail to entertain me.
The film also uses its strange concept as an allegory for faith and religion. This gave the story an extra layer, even if the movie didn't add much to the conversation that hasn't been said before. Still, it was more than I expected, and it worked surprisingly well.
In the end, Sausage Party wasn't a bad time, I don't quite regret seeing it, but I disliked this movie's sense of humor, and it's a slight let down as someone who generally gets a good laugh out of Seth Rogen's stuff. - DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.2.5/5 By no means a bad movie, but one that I did not care much for that came and went like a blur of superhero stuff.
I'm not a huge Marvel fan but I saw that a lot of people were saying that there is depth and character in this new Captain America movie. Just because it takes time with characters does not mean the characters are developed, and just because they mention interesting themes does not mean they're thought provoking ones. Marvel movies still don't come close to art house films or Oscar bait dramas in terms of characters, depth, or interesting storylines, nor do they touch prestige shows on television. I still have hope that maybe the new Spider-Man movie or Ryan Coogler's Black Panther movie can give us this, but from what I've seen here, I don't believe any movie with 8 or more avengers at once will be able to do it.
When the film acknowledges and creates conflict out of the fact that they kill people when they destroy buildings, it's good to see that they're doing it, but nothing about this idea actually gets developed enough to become worth caring about. Even though this conflict draws obvious parallels to the U.S's conflict in the middle east, it doesn't bother to explore a political stance and settles for the mere idea that maybe they're killing people and it's bad.
The Russo brothers do an okay job with action scenes because the continuity is well established, but the direction isn't stylish or interesting visually, and the fast cutting doesn't do much to separate these scenes from any other action movies. I do appreciate the practical effects, and the action was thankfully down to earth, which was unexpected for such a big movie. There weren't any giant space alien robot battles like there were in Avengers or Guardians.
I felt that the stakes were surprisingly low, and it killed a lot of the action scenes for me. Many scenes involve people trying to kill the winter soldier and captain america not wanting them to do that, and most of what's at stake is just that captain america would prefer they not kill him. The other action scene is the airport scene, which has fun with itself and that's why it's good, but it's odd that they're fighting each other, yet they don't want to kill each other. The stakes in the drama SEEM like they should be high considering everyone's now thinking about the civilians, but the movie diminishes this conflict by putting so much importance on the winter soldier character's conflict, which is a distraction from the interesting questions at hand.
Humor is rare here but it's done very well when it comes, and proves once again that humor is one of Marvel's best redeeming factors. I really enjoyed Tom Holland's appearance as Spider-Man in the film because it didn't take itself so seriously. His and Ant-Man's presence in the airport scene added a needed comedic dynamic to that battle scene which helped make it the only memorable action scene in the film.
As far as characters go, there's something about the Russo brothers' touch that puts the characters at a distance. It's like we're always watching them from some glossy mint conditioned packaging and we're not able to get inside their skin or explore their human qualities. The approach the camera takes in how it films the actors does a lot, and in many of these superhero films it limits how much we can get in their heads. While there is an effort made to develop character, it feels insignificant, kind of like it was thrown in so that the Russo's could say "see, there's character!"
There is also an effort made to establish depth, or at least the illusion that there is depth, and it's a flimsy one. The mere fact that the avengers kill civilians and that maybe they shouldn't isn't deep, and that's about as far as the film goes with that theme. A theme of revenge is introduced later on, and I give that credit for being somewhat present throughout the film in retrospect, but there's nothing unique about this theme and it has been done better in hundreds of other movies.
I think people are holding Marvel to too low standards. This movie isn't a good example of character, depth, or engaging story. As an action movie, it's not so bad, but it's nothing spectacular. For a lot of people, having superheroes in the movie is an advantage by default, but it's not for me. There's very little I will remember from this movie. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsMark RylanceRuby BarnhillPenelope WiltonAn orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.2.5/5 It feels like it's breezing though elements of the plot like a summary of the novel. Roald Dahl's world is so imaginative, but this adaptation is strangely passionless, showing you the cool stuff from the book but not with the same wonder or joy. How the hell did Steven Spielberg the writer of ET, John Williams, and Janusz Kaminski (the cinematographer) not deliver?
On the surface, all the ingredients are there. The visuals are interesting and luscious, but they somehow don't immerse the audience or pull them into the world the way Spielberg's most awe inspiring films have.
While the CGI is cool sometimes, it's kind of waxy, and if they didn't make every single thing that could possibly be a visual effect a visual effect, it might have been a more wondrous experience.
While Janusz Kaminski is a fantastic cinematographer, this may not be his kind of movie. It is not entirely a coincidence that he has not shot any of Spielberg's great family films, and that he has done all his political *beep* The BFG is pretty mundane throughout. There's a serious lack of wonder all over this movie, and although there's clearly a ton of effort in the visual craft, it doesn't get the job done.
The screenplay is basic af. There's hardly an interesting line in the entire film, since most of the dialogue is exposition or designed to advance the plot. There's a surprising lack of character development and heart in a story that has so much potential for that.
The casting is perfect and the actors do a great job, even though they're given nothing interesting to work with in. Mark Rylance is perfect as the giant, simple minded but good hearted. The voice and speech is exactly as one might imagine the character to be from the book. Ruby Barnhill is also just as one might imagine from the book as Sophie. The chemistry between the actors is good as well, even when you can tell that Sophie is in front of a green screen. Jemaine Clement was also surprisingly memorable as the "main" giant because of the comedic tone he brought to the character.
I thought I was enjoying this movie for a while. My instinct was telling me that the visuals were good, but my heart was totally silent. There's so little wonder, joy, passion, or emotion, it's surprising. Sometimes the movie looks cool and sometimes it's imaginative, but it's hard to rejoice in that imagination the way I wanted to, and sometimes it's hard to tell why. What's clear is that the Spielberg magic is not there.
Towards the end, the movie gets pretty tedious. Their decision to go visit the queen seems so odd, even when it felt like it made perfect sense in the book. That's the case with a lot of the plot. It made so much sense in the book, but in this movie, things are happening because they have to because they're in the book, not because they're unfolding organically.
There was a whole 15 minute scene where the guards set up a giant table for the BFG and then he eats a lot of small food, and it's just a total waste of a scene, and after a while I was thinking to myself, "What the *beep* even is this?"
And it was then that I realized that there's nothing in the movie I cared about to keep watching, and it went on for another 30 minutes, continuing its trend of empty scene after empty scene.
Some impressive spectacles aren't enough to evoke wonder. There needs to be heart for the visuals to burst through the screen the way they wanted to, and that was sorely lacking. - DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.5/5
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.4.5/5