2024 Movies Ranked

10. Rebel Ridge (4 Stars)

A star-making performance from Aaron Pierre. You can catch this on Netflix.

9. The Order (4 Stars)

A throwback to the TNT thrillers I grew up watching. A solid thriller. Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult gave really great performances.

8. Challengers (4 Stars)

Caught this in South Dakota in an empty theater. The propulsion of the score does a lot of the heavy lifting, but I found some of the visuals striking. Overall, the music is strong enough for this to be in the top 10.

7. Conclave (4 Stars)

My favorite kind of movie.

6. Small Things Like These (4 Stars)

I loved this incredibly faithful adaptation of the best book I read in 2024.

5. Evil Does Not Exist (4 Stars)

I have no idea what happened, but I was deeply moved. The "Glamping Town Hall" scene may be my favorite scene of the year.

4. Red Rooms (4 Stars)

The most uncomfortable I have been watching a movie in 2024.

3. Anora (5 Stars)

This may be the most honest movie I've seen this year. Sure, the content portrayed was crude. Yet, without it, this funny, propulsive, and devastatingly sad movie would not be as honest or intellectually rigorous about power, wealth, and class in America. Everyone felt real to me, even in the most absurd of moments. Life is absurd. It's okay to acknowledge that. I wasn't sure how I felt about Anora until the final 15-20 minutes. Everything slowed down. We'd been running for 2 hours. Then, all I wanted to do was cry. Anora did, too. That felt real to me.

Ani (Anora) is a sex worker. She enters a "relationship" with the son of a Russian oligarch, and her "Cinderella story" begins. She rises and inevitably falls. She is constantly calculating but never in control, consumed by the power brokers who will never accept her. While she found her way into the upper echelon of society for a few fleeting weeks, we see the toll survival takes on her. We feel the reality of her future once the credits roll.

I wouldn't have watched this movie a few years ago. I may not have last year. I've changed a lot over the last 5-10 years of my life. In my Christian bubble growing up, I would've thought watching something with this content was wrong, that it would corrupt my soul. Now, I think it may be quite the opposite.

Honesty requires our attention, and that's why Anora deserves our time.

2. The Taste of Things (5 Stars)

This movie came out in 2023, so I'm cheating. However, it didn't come out in Knoxville until 2024, and it would have been my top movie of 2023 if I had watched it in time.

As someone who believes a meal has the power to change the world, I believe this movie is right up my alley. I loved everything about it, and as I write it, I'm second-guessing putting it in the #2 slot. Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel (who were together in real life for many years) delivered the best performances that I saw this year. The depth of their off-screen relationship shines through with an undeniable power.

Food and love are powerful. I found this to be an incredibly moving sensory experience.

1. Dune: Part 2 (5 Stars)

LISAN AL GAIB!

The Taste of Things was the only movie that came close to dethroning Dune: Part 2. However, this was unquestionably the best theater-going experience I had in 2024. Dune is one movie away from being in the question for the best trilogy ever. It is already more consistent than Star Wars. Despite the weirdness of what I have heard is coming, if this sticks the landing, only the LOTR trilogy is really in the conversation.

The iconography this plays with is incredible, and the amount of world-building accomplished over two movies is astounding.

Yes, Timothée Chalamet cements himself as the best young star in Hollywood. Still, the side characters bring so much life to this story. Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Léa Seydoux, Austin Butler. Everyone is interesting. This is so rare.

I had a blast. I've watched it 3 times already. I may watch it again this week. What a picture!

2023 Movies Ranked

Ranking 40 New Releases From 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, it’s time to rank the new movies I watched this year. I hope you’ll check some of them out if you haven’t.

UNREDEEMABLE TRASH

40. 65 (1/5 STARS)

Good idea for a movie.

It’s a very bad movie.

39. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (1/5 STARS)

This movie wants to be Star Wars so badly, but I’m not sure it understands what actually makes the original Star Wars trilogy so great. I think there’s a good movie in here somewhere, but I don’t know what the point of this even is. It’s not a movie. It’s just connective tissue with no real purpose.

I DO NOT REMEMBER WATCHING THESE

38. MURDER MYSTERY 2 (2/5 STARS)

I do not remember watching this movie.

37. THE MOTHER (2/5 STARS)

I remember watching this but I have no idea what happened.

36. LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN (2/5 STARS)

Idris Elba should be in every movie.

WISH THEY WERE BETTER

35. SOUND OF FREEDOM (2/5 STARS)

It is a movie about stopping child kidnapping where the plan is “What if we got the bad guys to capture as many kids as possible so we can save more kids.” The logic of the plan doesn’t hold up. Since it is based on real events, it makes that a tougher pill to swallow for me. The performances overall were pretty solid, but the tone felt like a rollercoaster, especially certain music choices. It really buckles under the pressure and weight that culture put on it.

34. SILENT NIGHT (2/5 STARS)

No one makes movies like the GOAT John Woo. Unfortunately, this time that’s a bad thing!

33. KNOCK AT THE CABIN (2/5 STARS)

Dave Bautista is the best but that’s about it.

32. LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (2/5 STARS)

Have had this book for a while, just haven’t really started it yet. Decided to watch. Feel like the book has to be better than this?

A lot of flair with very little significance. Performances are the strongest aspect for me.

Wanted this to be better. Still hope Sam Esmail makes more movies. 

This really should be right up my alley, but I found myself mostly bored. Admittedly, this probably would play better in a theater and not on my couch.

Side note: Feeling good about my physical media collection!

A FUN TIME AT DA MOVIES

31. M3GAN (3/5 STARS)

I laughed a whole lot.

30. INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (3/5 STARS)

Pros: Harrison Ford is always good.

Cons: The first third of the movie. It’s way too long. Also, the last third of the movie.

It’s fine.

29. SCREAM VI (3/5 STARS)

28. CREED III (3/5 STARS)

Creed doesn’t miss.

27. A HAUNTING IN VENICE (3/5 STARS)

The best of the trilogy by a mile.

HAD HIGH MOMENTS BUT LEFT ME WANTING MORE

26. NAPOLEON (3/5 STARS)

The battle sequences may be some of the best I’ve ever seen. However, it feels like this movie doesn’t know what it wants to be. It jerks back and forth between narratives and there isn’t a clear picture of the story it’s trying to tell. I wish it was more focused.

25. EXTRACTION 2 (3/5 STARS)

Goldshifteh Farahani!

24. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (3/5 STARS)

Funny!

23. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 (3/5 STARS)

I enjoyed a Marvel movie for the first time in a while! It was nice!

OLD SCHOOL FLAVOR

22. THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (3/5 STARS)

Disney used to make so many of these in the 90s. I liked this a lot more than I expected to initially. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done.

21. THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL (4/5 STARS)

20. MASTER GARDENER (4/5 STARS)

Paul Schrader completes his trilogy about sad, tortured men who are compelled to reflectively journal alone at empty desks haunted by sins.

I was shocked by the hope of this movie which isn’t as active in First Reformed (perhaps the best movie of the 2010s in my opinion) or The Card Counter. While I think those are better movies, I’m thankful for the optimism here. Though the movie is disjointed at times, I’m not sure anyone is willing to wrestle with these questions like Paul.

19. THE CREATOR (4/5 STARS)

Didn’t know we were still looking to reckon with the Vietnam War but here we are. It may be the best looking movie of the year.

MOVIES THAT REALLY WENT FOR IT

18. ASTEROID CITY (4/5 STARS)

I was out for 80% of the runtime then it all clicked. There’s a cameo at the end that really worked for me, emotionally.

17. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (4/5 STARS)

The best superhero movies that are being made right now and it’s not even close.

16. BARBIE (4/5 STARS)

NOT QUITE MY FAVORITES BUT STILL GREAT

15. THE KILLER (4/5 STARS)

One of the funniest movies of the year and just a tight thriller. We need more movies like this.

14. ANATOMY OF A FALL (4/5 STARS)

This may have the most iconic use of a song ever. It’s a really great update to the courtroom drama and a clever story. Check this out if you haven’t! Sandra Hüller gives one of the best performances of the year.

13. AFIRE (4/5 STARS)

12. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (4/5 STARS)

Salute the flag that is Tom Cruise!

It never drags. It's just energy from start to finish. The villain is probably the worst of the series, but I don’t care.

I’m still thinking about the AI suitcase/sarcophagus on the train. That’s a good bit. 

Also Hayley Atwell! 

The most consistent franchise we have.

11. MAY DECEMBER (4/5 STARS)

THE TOP 10

10. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. (4/5 STARS)

In a perfect world, Rachel McAdams would get an Oscar for this.

9. MAESTRO (5/5 STARS)

It’s a movie that’s more about Bradley Cooper, his relationship to fame, and the inability to separate a public and private persona, than it is about Leonard Bernstein.

I found that to be absolutely fascinating.

8. THE BOY AND THE HERON (5/5 STARS)

A culmination of every Miyazaki project to this point. I am forever grateful that I finally got to see one of his movies in theaters. It’s something that I won’t forget.

7. GODZILLA MINUS ONE (5/5 STARS)

I cried during a Godzilla movie, more than once!

6. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (5/5 STARS)

A titanic achievement. I think this movie is nearly impossible for me to write about in a coherent way. The weight of the dread is so profound and yet it only scratches the surface of the reality of the hurt this community and many others experienced. Having read the book prior, this work of adaptation is a clever and effective as I’ve seen.

5. THE HOLDOVERS (5/5 STARS)

A new Christmas classic and one of the more emotionally effective movies I’ve watched in quite some time.

I’VE HAD ALL 4 OF THESE RANKED #1 AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE YEAR

4. PAST LIVES (5/5 STARS)

There is not a movie that made me feel the way this movie made me feel this year.

3. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 (5/5 STARS)

In the conversation for the best action movie I’ve ever seen.

2. OPPENHEIMER (5/5 STARS)

“But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them, we’re forced to
Then fire, them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God’s on your side

— Bob Dylan

I haven’t gotten these lyrics out of my head since I first heard the song years ago. My mind drifted to them as we entered the second half of Oppenheimer, a titanic achievement.

What are willing to sacrifice for brilliance?

What are we willing to overlook for innovation?

Who becomes the arbiter of good when theory is all we have to throw at each other?

These questions carry through, and I found the ideas of theory vs. practical application to provide considerable tension throughout. The use of color harkens back to Nolan’s earlier escapades in Memento, which offered differing narratives of truth for the viewer to reconcile through subjective and objective points of view. 

There’s a scene near the middle of the film that really knocked me out and that was when I fully bought in. As Oppenheimer hears the screams of victims in his mind and transposes his doting audience post-bomb drop with the victims of the blast, I found myself frozen in place. The theory of his fears became realized through practical application.

As I walked out of the theater, my mind continued to churn through different ideas to grapple with. The runtime is a marathon, and it’s very talky, which wore me down, but perhaps that was intentional. We experience a sense of the weight of guilt carried as we find ourselves running out of steam. 

The discombobulating movement from the wonders of the test sequence to loading the bombs to be dropped only makes the slow descent of guilt more palpable. Was it worth it? We’re left to sit with what all this means.

Christopher Nolan offers his answer.

(Side Note: On my second viewing, the young couple that sat in front of me put their fingers in their ears for the Trinity sequence. Then right before the blast of sound, they took their fingers out cause they thought the silence would last forever.

I had to try not to snort laughing at them when they about jumped through the ceiling.)

1. FERRARI (5/5 STARS)

Michael Mann is my favorite filmmaker and he’s been making the same movie for around 40 years. Tortured men who claim to live by some sort of code in their work are torn apart by their personal lives. It works every time and his take on Enzo Ferrari is no different.

Enzo, crippled by the loss of a son, and torn between a marriage to his partner at work and a second family, hidden in the shadows, is on the brink of financial ruin. His hard-charging leadership will push his racing team toward excellence.

But will this success be worth the carnage and sacrifice required to succeed?

There is a moment near the end of this film that I could have never seen coming. The gasps in the theater were unlike anything I’ve experienced. Metal and machine meet the beauty of the Italian countryside as pain and loss pave the way for immense power. I can’t wait to watch this again.

2022 Movies Ranked

Well as another year closes, I decided to rank all of the new releases that I watched in 2022. I hope you enjoy the list!

Ranking 44 Movies Released in 2022

WOW THESE ARE BAD

44. MORBIUS

Review: For a movie that partially takes place in International Waters, I was disappointed. Morbius is a true stinker.

Rating: 1 star

43. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

Review: Miscast. Boring.

Rating: 1 star

42. LOU

Rating: 1 star

THESE SHOULD BE BETTER

41. THE GRAY MAN

Review: This should’ve been good. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes at the dialogue. I like dumb action movies as much as anyone, but at times this felt insultingly dumb.

I’m glad Chris Evans had fun.

Rating: 2 stars

40. REDEEMING LOVE

Rating: 2 stars

39. UNCHARTED

Review: There are a lot of problems far beyond this, but I think a great score would really elevate things. It’s really important to the feel of adventure Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, etc. Even something like National Treasure has a better fitting score, though not as iconic. 

That’s obviously not even the biggest flaw of Uncharted but I think it would’ve made a difference.

Rating: 2 stars

38. DEATH ON THE NILE

Review: The origin story we’ve all been clamoring for: Why did Poirot grow his mustache?

Rating: 2 stars

I HAD FUN, SUE ME

37. SCREAM

Rating: 3 stars

36. REURRECTION

Review: Confused and scared by this movie. Incredibly gruesome scene for the finale! A modern update to 1944s Gaslight. Resurrection is much darker.

Rating: 3 stars

35. DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA

Rating: 3 stars

34. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

Review: I looked over at a younger family during the runtime and saw their kids around 6 and 8 years old glued to the screen. They cheered a couple times and I realized that’s who these movies are for now. It helped me not take this so seriously. I had fun. They had fun. That’s what movies do. 

Is it a mess? Yes. Does it look bad in many moments? Also yes. Does a lot of the humor undercut the serious elements of the story and keep it from wrestling with more interesting material? Definitely! Am I looking past this because I had a good time and Taika Waititi’s humor works on me? I think so?

I may just be lowering my expectations, but seeing this later, and going in with less of the Marvel heaviness made this more enjoyable. The Thor storyline this pulls from is also one of my absolute favorites in my limited comic book knowledge. Highly recommend checking out the Jason Aaron run from 2012-14. 

Also, Christian Bale blows everyone off the screen in this and not to spoil things but the section where it shifts to black and white is truly incredible. Those moments are what push this up a bit for me. Marvel should take more swings like that. The movie is a mess but it has moments and I think 13 year old me would’ve absolutely loved it.

Rating: 3 stars

33. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

Review: I got up to get snacks every time that I got bored. It’s a pretty good movie when you do that. 

Rating: 3 stars

32. CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS

Rating: 3 stars

SOLID MOVIES

31. WHITE NOISE

Rating: 3 stars

30. MEMORIA

Rating: 3 stars

29. HUSTLE

Review: Adam Sandler. Anthony Edwards. Training Montage. That’s all you need for a good movie.

Rating: 3 stars

28. FRESH

Review: A truly wild ride. Go in blind if you can!

Rating: 3 stars

27. A HERO

Review: Humanity is incredibly stressful!

Rating: 3 stars

26. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

Review: Me throughout the entire move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQEIZEsWj4. I had a blast and I’m proud that this movie understands the importance of Paddington 2.

Rating: 3 stars

25. TICKET TO PARADISE

Review: This movie understands the power of movie stars. It’s a whole lot of fun.

Rating: 3 stars

24. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

Review: Angela Bassett is the greatest. There’s a great movie in here, but it really fell off for me in the second half.

Rating: 3 stars

23. KIMI

Review: Soderbergh doesn’t miss.

Wish I could’ve caught this in a theater for a couple moments, but it’s really a perfect streaming thriller.

Rating: 3 stars

22. CYRANO

Review: Haley Bennett is really good. Apparently I’m into musicals now?

Rating: 3 stars

THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO

21. THE LOST CITY

Review: I had a blast. Brad Pitt was hilarious. It’s nice to have Channing Tatum back. Sandra Bullock was great as always. Letting movie stars be silly is always a good decision. Really funny, probably not as good as I’m rating it. I was thoroughly entertained.

Really glad I watched Romancing the Stone before this which would be a solid double feature pairing.

Rating: 3 stars

20. THE OUTFIT

Review: A tight thriller with great performances. This snuck up on me and I got a lot of enjoyment out of it. I hope more streamers make movies like this in the future.

Rating: 3 stars

19. BARBARIAN

Review: Go in blind if you watch it. It is truly wild and I have nothing to say. I don't want to spoil anything. I don’t have a rating for this. I don’t even know if I like it. It is truly deranged.

18. PREY

Rating: 4 stars

17. SALOUM

Review: This movie absolutely rips. I was so pleasantly surprised. Give it a shot!

Rating: 4 stars

16. THE BATMAN

Review: If this was like 20 minutes shorter, I think it might be perfect.

Rating: 4 stars

THE TRAUMA OF LIFE AND ALEXSANDER SKARSGÅRD

15. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

Review: What’s the point of a legacy if you can’t share it with the people around you? That may not be what this movie is trying to say but it’s all I could think about. The tensions here are real and I wrestle with them every day. Colin Farrell is the best.

Rating: 4 stars

14. AMBULANCE

Rating: 4 stars

13. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Review: It really was about the outcast whale friends we made along the way.

Rating: 4 stars

12. THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING

Rating: 4 stars

11. THE FABELMANS

Rating: 4 stars

10. ARMAGEDDON TIME

Rating: 4 stars

9. GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Rating: 4 stars

8. THE NORTHMAN

Review: I levitated out of my seat when Skarsgård caught the spear and threw it back.

Rating: 4 stars

TOP 5 + 2 HONORABLE MENTIONS

7. SPEAK NO EVIL

Review: This movie is probably the most nihilistic thing I’ve ever watched. I don’t want to spoil anything. I don’t know if I can recommend it in good faith. It truly left me feeling depressed. In terms of a moving working, I’d say this is my #1 movie of the year. It definitely accomplishes what it sets out to do and I vividly remember the moment it turns. Depraved!

Rating: 4 stars

6. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Review: I’ve never seen anything like this. Pure chaos. Emotional. Fun. Sometimes absurdity is the best way to understand. I think I loved it. It’s not perfect, but it’s beautiful. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are wonderful.

Rating: 5 stars.

5. TÁR

Review: Cate Blanchett delivers the performance of the year and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in TÁR. A lot has been made that this is a movie about cancel culture and sure that plays a role in the story. However, I felt that it had more to do with what we accept in talented people. Where do we draw the line in moral failings? What do we let slide to achieve greatness? Is it worth it? I’m not sure TÁR offers us any answers, but it is certainly asking a lot of questions. I found it to be a wonderful character study and one that I’d like to revisit in the future.

It also has, perhaps, the funniest ending of the year!

Rating: 5 stars

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Review: There is nothing to say. It was the best theater going experience of the year. I was hootin’ and hollerin’ the whole time.

Rating: 5 stars

3. NOPE

Review: I think this is Jordan Peele’s best film, better than Get Out and Us. I have a lot of theories about Nope and the ways it explores our relationship with trauma, social media, consumerism, and relational bonds. I think it is a bit of a kaleidoscope for people. I’m not sure I’ll ever fully understand it, but it meant a lot to me. The fact that Peele is able to entertain and provide meaning at such a high level is truly a gift.

Rating: 5 stars

2. DECISION TO LEAVE

Review: I love this movie.

Here’s a review that I loved:

"The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins."

It begins with the mountain and ends with the sea. The two contrasting images always accompany the film. Like Seo Rae's dress, some people think it's green; others see blue. The wallpaper in her home shows patterns of mountain peaks, but upon closer look, they look like thousands of waves crashing into each other. The mountain and the sea seem so close, yet are always out of each other’s reach. If the wise love the water and the benevolence the mountains, the lovelorn will always choose to stay behind in the earth. No one ever wanted to leave but always having to pass by.

Decision to Leave is Park Chan-wook channeling Alfred Hitchcock in extraordinary ways. I’m always shocked by how funny PCW is each time I fire up one of his movies. He understands a particular humor in every day life.

It is the best directed movie of the year by a mile, in my opinion. The performances are excellent and it really is only headed in one direction, but it still took my breath away.

Rating: 5 stars

1.AFTER YANG

Review: I watched this movie 4 times this year. I don’t really have a comfort movie, but if I had to choose one it would probably be this. It is perfectly calibrated to a type of sadness that I find captivating. On my second or third watch I realized that I wanted more from it. I wanted it to be longer and for a film about loss, I didn't know how to grapple with that understanding. Then it hit me.

I realized that is exactly what loss does to us. It makes us reconsider how we spend our time. It makes us wish we could have just one more moment with those that we have left behind. It makes us long to see the people who have gone before us again.

Kogonada makes cathartic films. Columbus (2017) offers a similar feeling and stars Haley Lu Richardson who appears in After Yang, as well. She is wonderful. However, I found Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith to be particularly moving. The ways in which their memories of Yang cut together as if they’re trying to grab the perfect moment was unlike anything I’d seen before. When Colin Farrell’s character and Yang, played by Justin H. Min, share some tea I was enchanted.

I don’t really cry when watching movies, but After Yang brings me to tears. It’s the best movie of 2022 in my opinion and no other movie has a more engaging opening credits sequence.

I love this movie. I hope you do too.

Rating: 5 stars

2021 Movies Ranked

It’s that time of the year again! As we enter 2022, I wanted to look back on the year in movies once again. I have broken my rankings into groups. Also, the title listing links to a page telling you where the film is available to be watched right now! It was a good year for movies!

If you’re interested in other suggestions or more movies I’ve watched throughout the year, check out my Letterboxd. I post reviews regularly and log every film I watch. This year I logged 300 films (some shorts and a couple of limited tv series included), 59 of which were released in 2021 and will appear below! Some of these will have a short review, and others will only have a picture. A few will have deep-dive reviews because I feel they warrant the attention (most of these deep dives will correspond to controversial movies or films I felt were genuinely excellent). This list isn’t as intensive as last year. I don’t have the time that I did during the pandemic, though I did somehow watch more new releases this year!

These movies are rated out of 5 stars. With all that being said, let’s dive into the list!

PRACTICALLY UNWATCHABLE

59.RED NOTICE

My expectations were low but wow. This is atrocious. Lifeless. Pointless. Hollywood needs some actual movie stars.

Rating: 1 star

58.THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

Please no, Amy, not like this.

Rating: 1 star

57.GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

Rating: 1 star

56.CHERRY

Rating: 1 star

SHOULD THESE HAVE BEEN MADE?

55.MORTAL KOMBAT

Rating: 1 star

54.COMING 2 AMERICA

Rating: 1 star

53.SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY

I laughed more than I should’ve. This is actively bad and just a Warner Brothers IP commercial and I hate that, but I had some fun. The nostalgia was nice and I think the first one is legitimately good and funny (though maybe not the 5 star picture that it is in my heart). If anything, this needs Bill Murray.

Rating: 1 star

52.REMINISCENCE

I still love you Rebecca Ferguson but please choose better movies. This was a real snooze fest.

Rating: 1 star

51.THE SUICIDE SQUAD

Wasn’t this supposed to be funny?

Rating: 1 star

50.CRY MACHO

I love Clint. It’s a perfectly fine movie, I just couldn’t get into it. It’s competently made but he’s probably just a little too old at this point.

Rating: 1 star

I’M NOT MAD JUST DISAPPOINTED

49.ETERNALS

I never fall asleep in movie theaters. It’s something I really try not to do. I saw this at a packed screening in Appleton, WI. I fell asleep 3 separate times. It was so boring, tried to push way too many ideas, and ultimately should’ve been a mini series or television show. The two characters pictured above were genuinely great and I wish they highlighted their relationship more.

Rating: 1 star

48.CRUELLA

I have been laughing at this scene for months:

Rating: 2 stars

47.BEING THE RICARDOS

Rating: 2 stars

46.SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS

I too would choose to name myself after the events leading up to my father’s death. 

11 year old me would’ve loved this.

Rating: 2 stars

45.THE TOMORROW WAR

Fantastic creature design but I thought everything else was a little lacking.

Rating: 2 stars

44.WITHOUT REMORSE

Rating: 2 stars

43.THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD

Rating: 2 stars

42.BLACK WIDOW

Perfectly fine movie. Florence Pugh is definitely the highlight. The Nirvana cover was the worst thing I’ve heard in years. Very bad CGI near the end and the villains continue to be a problem for Marvel. This would’ve been better if it was made about 8 years ago.

Rating: 2 stars

MEH

41.LUCA

Rating: 2 stars

40.GODZILLA VS KONG

KONG BOWS TO NO ONE.

Rating: 2 stars

39.THE LITTLE THINGS

A less gruesome, less grimy spiritual successor to Se7en. Objectively not good at all, but very much for me. Hits every trope in the book. Almost everything about this movie does not work, but I love it. 

Imagine sitting in a bar with your friends on a random weeknight when Denzel and Rami sit down next to you to discuss some brutal murders. Pretty much a night ruiner imo.

Rating: 2 stars

38.TITANE

Titane is pretty overhyped, in my opinion. It’s excruciating to watch at times, but what for? It felt like I was made to squirm just because? And I mean, I grimaced and squirmed for the whole runtime, but it was just because it was genuinely gnarly. I don’t feel like there was any real meaning or payoff to most of the graphic depictions on screen.

It was weirder than it had to be. I sometimes think simpler is better. I think the idea of Vincent Lindon’s character being so blinded by grief and the loss of his son that he takes in a female serial killer who kind of looks how his son might look is fascinating. Focusing on the grief there and her desperation could’ve been more engaging. I feel like some of the beginning was unnecessary and more uncomfortable than it has to be to get similar points across.

It is very well made, but that wasn’t enough. It’s almost impossible to put a star rating on this. I may not be smart enough to understand everything that’s going on, and A LOT is going on, but I guess it’s just not for me.

Also, this is probably the most graphic and explicit movie I’ve seen in a while and very distressing, bizarre ways, so if you choose to watch this, be warned.

Rating: 2 stars

A FUN TIME AT THE MOVIES

37.OLD

Rating: 2 stars

36.RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

Rating: 3 stars

35.SHANG-CHI: LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Please put Tony Leung in more movies.

Rating: 3 stars

34.ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE

Pretty disappointed they didn’t incorporate the title “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” into the dialogue.

I’d watch a Diane Lane/Jeremy Irons farm to table cooking show as their characters Martha Kent/Alfred. 

If you buy into the spectacle you will have a good time. If not, you’ll probably absolutely hate this. I’m glad Snyder got his shot. He deserved to see this through. There are some really head scratching moments (a slo-mo shot of a sesame seed flying off of a bun to name one). I hope that DC can take better advantage of these characters moving forward, but I will take this. I enjoyed it for what it is. It’s a really big swing and though it misses on quite a few levels, it held my attention despite the runtime. Even still, it should’ve ended about 20 minutes earlier. 

This is definitely miles better than the original.

Rating: 3 stars

33.F9

Rating: 3 stars

32.THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES

Rating: 3 stars

31.IN THE HEIGHTS

Rating: 3 stars

30.A QUIET PLACE PART II

Rating: 3 stars

BETTER THAN THEY SHOULD BE

29.CODA

Rating: 3 stars

28.NO SUDDEN MOVE

A vibe. Great visuals and performances, pretty much made for me in terms of all the confusing heist movie mechanics. I had a great time.

Rating: 3 stars

27.THE DIG

Rating: 3 stars

26.VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

Objectively, this movie is not good at all. Everything with Tom Hardy and Venom works for me, but I could watch Hardy act in literally anything. Everything else about the movie pretty much sucks, but I had an awesome time. I laughed and enjoyed myself. I’m rating this based on the fact that it actually felt like a comic book to me. Also, more movies should just be dumb and stop trying so hard. I enjoyed that change of pace.

It also happens to be one of the best Rom-Coms of 2021.

Rating: 3 stars

STRONG BUT FLAWED

25.LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

Rating: 3 stars

24.HOUSE OF GUCCI

A little disappointed by this one. It was fine? House of Gucci is very weird and definitely way too long. It drags in the middle and puts the pedal to the metal to get you to its destination in the last 15-20 minutes. The highlights were easily whatever Jared Leto and Al Pacino were doing. I’d love to see the movie they thought they were in.

Rating: 3 stars

23.AZOR

Rating: 3 stars

22.SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Struggling to rate this. It could be a 4 but I think the first half is honestly not that great (outside of the battle with Doc Ock). Emotionally, there’s plenty to grab onto and when *redacted* happens I believe it really kicks up a notch. Overall, this represents some of my frustration with the MCU, particularly with the ground level heroes. The cosmic stuff takes away from what makes Spider-Man the hero that he is.

This is why Hawkeye has been a great TV show as well. However, there are too many villains here and it’s all just fan service. It’s hard to let these movies wash over you when it’s always about the next thing. It’s still a very fun time. Spider-Man is tied with Daredevil as my favorite Marvel character so I’m never going to say I hate seeing him on screen. It’s the best superhero movie of the year and having some old villains was nice, especially with Marvel’s villain problem. It’s a fun time at the movies, but I’m getting tired of the sameness that the MCU relies on. The formula is getting a little old for me.

As far as the villain problem, I’m getting tired of everything leading to an “end of the universe” level threat. It makes the stakes so big that nothing really matters. This is why Thanos worked well in some ways, because he actually executed his plan. Otherwise, the villains become completely disposable for only 1 movie and I’m running out of room to buy-in. They kill them so quickly. This movie was slightly better, but reliant on old villains from stronger movies. Green Goblin and Doc Ock aren’t going for universal domination necessarily and that fits Spider-Man. I hope they can bring in new villains with similar stakes. It would greatly help the more grounded superheroes.

Rating: 3 stars

21.NIGHTMARE ALLEY

An interesting, overlong update to the original. Cate Blanchett is definitely the highlight. She’s always good. It spends too much time early on trying to explain itself and make sure you understand absolutely everything that’s going on. If you haven’t seen the original, you’ll probably like this a lot more. 

I liked Bradley Cooper but he doesn’t even come close to Tyrone Power’s performance, which is one of the best I’ve seen recently. He’s much more charismatic than Cooper in this role. However, I’m glad Del Toro chose the more cynical view of the ending rather than offering the glimmer of hope like the original.

Rating: 3 stars

20.JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield truly are two of our best working actors. Dominique Fishback slips into this alongside them very well too, her vulnerability was a welcome addition. Kaluuya’s Fred Hampton is pure charisma, easily one of the most magnetic performances I’ve seen. He deserved his Oscar win earlier this year.

The final payment scene really brings the title analogy home and pays off the early conversation between Stanfield and Plemons. I think this is Stanfield’s best performance alongside Atlanta.

In A.O. Scott’s review he writes, “The phrase “Black messiah” doesn’t reflect romantic revolutionary hyperbole, but rather the paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen), who saw African-American militants as the gravest internal threat to national security and feared the emergence of a popular, crowd-inspiring national leader.” That tension is palpable throughout and in my opinion a testament to the writing and direction. That piece of the puzzle is still evident today. Fears fester and manifest into hate. Fears lead to violence and pain. The dread of where that fear will lead the story pushes the viewer through the story. 

That knowledge forces you to cling to Fishback in some ways. She grounds everything and the moments she shares with Kaluuya break through some of that tension with their poetic conversations. I wish we could spend more time with them, see the life that they should have had, but that is just a piece of this real world tragedy, that the fruits of their love were stopped short.

Rating: 4 stars

19.THE LAST DUEL

Jodie Comer gives what might be the best performance I saw this year.

Rating: 4 stars

GREAT MOVIES

18.SHIVA BABY

This is one of the most stressful movies I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Rating: 4 stars

17.THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE

We are such fragile creatures. Jessica Chastain’s performance was incredible.

Rating: 4 stars

16.THE BETA TEST

Rating: 4 stars

15.PASSING

Rating: 4 stars

14.THE FRENCH DISPATCH

The more I’m thinking about it as I leave the theater, the more I liked it. There are just a few sweet intimate moments that swept me away just a bit throughout. 

Wes is incredible.

Rating 4 stars

13.THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

Loved this movie. It’s very funny. It’s got decent action. It’s pretty idealistic. I had a blast.

The self awareness was refreshing and I love how unafraid it was to make fun of certain aspects of the series. I appreciate the consistency in subverting expectations. It’s a bit of an antidote to the other sequels and the constant draining of intellectual property. There are so many ideas at play and Jonathan Groff rules. Very glad this exists.

Rating: 4 stars

12.NO TIME TO DIE

I went through all of the Bond franchise during a summer about 4 years ago. It honestly got me through some tough times and a really lonely spell in my life. It’s definitely not the best franchise and there are plenty of movies that are actively terrible. However, it’s probably my favorite for that reason and many others. They aren’t afraid of the absurd and I respect that.

No Time To Die is one of the more tender movies in the franchise and definitely so for the Craig era. It’s the reverse “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and I enjoyed the nods throughout to different moments from the previous 24 films. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the humor (especially Ana De Armas) and while Malek’s villain was definitely a low point and it is way too long, I enjoyed spending time with some of my favorite characters. There’s nothing really profound to say here (other than the unfortunate timing this story is considering COVID), but I was moved by the final sequence.

Skyfall probably should’ve ended the Craig era as it grapples with similar issues and does so in near perfect fashion for me. However, I liked getting a more emotional appeal to Bond’s charisma and the paternal side that is thrust upon him. No Time To Die is a worthy send off to the Bond that is my personal favorite. We have a man desperately trying to find family, to find home. I wish he got his home in the end, but this character was never set up for that kind of success.

Rating: 4 stars

11.LITTLE FISH

Rating: 4 stars

10.NINE DAYS

This movie washed over me. I thought Winston Duke’s performance was fantastic. Emotionally, I thought just about every moment worked. I can definitely see this one feeling like a dud if the emotional punches miss the mark. However, I loved it. We’re really all longing to be known, truly known, and the power those moments have on our lives is a beautiful experience.

Rating: 4 stars

9.THE HARDER THEY FALL

Jonathan Majors rules!

Rating: 4 stars

8.THE GREEN KNIGHT

The Green Knight is an exploration of the hero’s journey in all of its contradictions and confounding chivalrous tasks. In some ways it’s conventional, in others it’s a deconstruction. Gawain is a young (not) Knight striving for a story to tell. He wants to live up to the legends that surround him. His naivety, mistaken for courage, leads him down a fateful path where he must lose his head.

In some ways, this is all of us, stumbling forward on our journeys, making decisions that rarely come from a place of courage and more than likely come out of fear in relation to others or our own skin/pride. However, I’ve found that courage is often found in shuffling forward as slow as it might be. 

I found the determinism of this incredibly interesting especially as it seems to relate to the camera movement. The spinning of the camera seems to act as a winding clock moving forward and back (I feel that the puppet show illustrates this) to ensure our hero reaches his destiny, the end of his quest, with his head lopped off. Rewinding time as we see Gawain’s crumbling bones to provide him with an opportunity for escape and moving forward to show the pain and grief associated with a life of running away toward cowardice. Even when he’s in peril, he is funneled further in toward his destined doom with the Green Knight. 

The cinematography is breathtaking and the desolation of the world creates a unique, mystical atmosphere. I really enjoyed Dev Patel’s performance as well. This movie was confident and still wasn’t afraid to be fun. It’s the best film I’ve seen so far this year and I love how much there is to dig into with future viewings. I may not know its true meaning, but I enjoyed the ride. I may be bumping this up to 5 stars upon rewatch.

Rating: 4 stars

7.PIG

Nic Cage delivers the best performance of the year. It was nothing like I expected and I tried to avoid as much as possible so I don’t want to spoil it here. Fantastic movie.

Rating: 4 stars

THE BEST OF THE YEAR (THESE ARE PRETTY INTERCHANGEABLE)

6.BELFAST

I was very skeptical of Belfast. It felt that it was going to be way too cheery for my cynical core when it comes to movies. However, I was charmed by it. Mostly due to Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe. Their relationship carried the movie for me. I highly recommend checking it out.

Rating: 5 stars

5.WEST SIDE STORY

I don’t particularly love musicals. There was really only one (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) that stuck out in my mind before I saw this. I’m as surprised as you might be to see this so high up my list. However, Steven Spielberg has still got the juice. I found this to be absolutely delightful and heartbreaking. I have zero attachment to the original 1961 film, nor have I see any of the other adaptations, and I’m relatively thankful that is the case. I was able to let this new entrant wash right over me and take me where it wanted to go.

I have become a little numb to clichés in movies lately. I’m probably watching more than I should. The goosebump cinema is getting harder and harder to find. However, that makes the ones that pull off certain moments all the more entertaining and rewarding. There are a couple of moments in West Side Story that do just that. I will touch on one.

The moment in question occurs at the dance pictured above as Ansel Elgort’s “Tony” and Rachel Ziegler’s “Maria” catch a glimpse of one another from across the room. Obviously this happens in all kinds of movies, but Spielberg stages this one perfectly. He frames the actors so well as they find each other despite the sea of bodies in motion between them. There are shots in this movie that I will never forget. I really just had a great time and appreciated what Spielberg was doing visually throughout. There are also some real standout performances. Romeo and Juliet still works!

Rating: 5 stars

4.THE POWER OF THE DOG

I had the privilege of seeing this at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. It was such a cool experience and I’m glad my first time there was for a movie this good. 

I’m relatively new to Jane Campion’s work. I’ve only seen In The Cut, and that was only during the same week that I saw The Power of the Dog. But even in these two films, I see that she’s a master of detail. Just a glance, a shot of the breeze, or the styling of a character holds so much weight. 

I went into The Power of the Dog relatively blind. I didn’t know what to expect and found it to be quite different than I thought it’d be. The performances are incredible and I’m still grappling with the depth of each character. Everyone is so fully formed. 

I was going to give this 4 stars for most of the movie, which is great, but the ending pushed it over the top for me. Everything fell into place. It felt like I was looking at a painting, it’s breathtaking. But there are a few intimate moments that got me:

• Jesse Plemmons no longer feeling alone

• The shared cigarette/rope making

• The funeral revelation 

These stick with me. There’s both a coldness and warmth to this film that I find incredibly rewarding and rarely done well. I’m thankful to have experienced it on the big screen.

Rating: 5 stars

3.THE CARD COUNTER

I only recently caught up to this in the last couple weeks of December and it blew me away. Oscar Isaac is one of my favorite actors and he delivers a precise, restrained performance as William Tell, a poker player who counts cards after spending 8 years in a military prison. He was sentenced to prison for his participation in the torture and abuse of prisoners held in Abu Ghraib. I am new to this incident, which is a real travesty of our education system, in my opinion. I read up on it earlier this year and though I was alive, I was not aware of what was happening in my youth. These characters were not the real people involved, but the movie draws on the incident. It takes a lot of guts to tackle an event like Abu Ghraib and Paul Schrader does so in quite an effective way.

While that provides the backdrop for the trauma of this film, it’s much more about the guilt and shame of our lead character through his participation in these horrors. Most of all though, it is about the prisons we make for ourselves and no one captures tortured men on screen better than Paul Schrader. William Tell spends his time playing cards all day everyday. He covers his motel rooms in white sheets, takes pictures off the walls, and shuts the blinds. He builds a jail cell for himself each night and spends his time in windowless facilities gambling his time away in the day. Time passes, but it isn’t experienced. The damage of its passing is still felt, but will the self-fulfilling prophecies of his actions come to fruition? Will he get out from under his guilt and shame? Can we do the same?

This is quite a follow-up to First Reformed, one of my favorite movies, for Paul Schrader and it is a very tough watch. There are some gruesome depictions of torture and some jarring images that will undoubtedly stick with you. In a year of disagreement and the integration of the past, I feel it apt to consider the impacts of our history in film. I think this does a good job of illuminating the evils America participates in, but also the trauma on real lives. Overall, the intense lonesome nature of Schrader’s filmography is incredible and as he continues to drill down into his interests, I find myself continually along for the ride.

Rating: 5 stars

2.DUNE

For the last few weeks, I’ve had Dune hovering around 5th in this ranking. I turned on the first hour just a couple of days before I posted this and felt the need to move it higher. Each time I see a snippet of this movie I like it more. Rarely do we get blockbuster filmmaking with this much style. It was probably my favorite theater experience this year. It just rules so hard.

The cast is stacked and I honestly don't know how they pulled off some of the sequences in this movie. I really enjoyed the majority of the performances, especially Jason Momoa and Rebecca Ferguson. While the emotional beats didn't always click for me, I found myself blown away by the epic scale. Rarely do we get to see something so vast and encompassing as Dune.

I haven't read the books, but I am very interested in where they take this. There is a lot to unpack and a lot of it is subverting the expectations of traditional storytelling, if I understand what's going on correctly. I really appreciate the big swings that were taken to make a film like this.

I truly found myself sitting in awe of some of the shots that appeared on screen. It was probably my most anticipated movie of the year and I am eagerly awaiting the part 2. Denis Villeneuve never fails to entertain and I don't know that there is a director working right now that is on a hotter streak of movies than him. Incendies, Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and now Dune are all incredibly impressive. Following his career is truly a delight.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the movie from 2021 that I revisit the most in the future.

Rating: 5 stars

1.LICORICE PIZZA

I needed the fun of Licorice Pizza this year. The seriousness of the Card Counter fits the reflective nature of 2021 and the grappling with our nation’s history that many of us sought out over the last 12 months. Licorice Pizza balances that seriousness with the frenetic exploration of the energy of what it means to be 15 years old and the uncertainty of what it looks like to be 25 years old.

There’s a bit of nostalgia at play, remembering being young and having the world ahead of you. All kinds of ideas are right there to latch onto for future success and failure. However, I turned 25 only days before seeing this movie, and the uncertainty found in Alana’s character is quite relatable. She has a longing to find something bigger than herself, along with a family outside of her childhood home and a career that brings a sense of meaning. I have longed for similar things throughout the last few years, not knowing if I’d ever find them. I’m thankful to be where I am now.

There’s something beautiful about casting normal people in the lead roles. Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim, the son of the legendary Philip Seymour Hoffman and the other a pop rockstar, offer us a taste of normalcy within the Valley. Their performances follow suit as their acting experience isn’t that of the supporting characters. Still, as they get more confident, it seems that their characters become more comfortable with one another as well. Bradley Cooper and Harriet Sansom Harris also deliver hilarious performances. There are some controversial aspects to the film, a couple of racist moments from a restaurant owner, though they seem to be balanced by framing the character as an apparent fool. Still, these sections were a bit uncomfortable.

Also, the age gap between our two leads has led to some differences in opinion. I found it less weird due to the setting of the 1970s and the reality that, more than likely, we have all had a crush on someone older than us, particularly in cinematic experiences. The story swept me away enough that it didn’t bother me. I don’t think this will be the case for everyone.

The filmmaking also provided an added experience. Everyone in this movie is running. Youthful energy fills the camera movement and adds to the movie's pacing. It was a blast to have a film that wasn’t leading to anything in particular.

I smiled for the entire runtime.

Rating: 5 stars

2020 Movies Ranked

Pandemic Movie Year

Here are 50 movies released in 2020 that I was able to watch throughout the year. The pandemic truly shifted our ability to consume entertainment in the usual way. Nine months without the option to go to a theater changes things, but I am grateful for the ones I could see. Below you will find those films, along with a brief description or review. If you want to check out any more of my movie reviews, look at my Letterboxd profile. The following movies are split into categories and rated out of 5 stars.

If you would like to skip to the Best of the Year, click here.

THE LAUGHABLY BAD

50. MONEY PLANE

This movie stars WWE star Adam Copeland (Edge) and 90s television star Kelsey Grammer. There is a plane that operates as a casino/gambling hub for high-level criminals in the underworld flying over international waters, but also somehow above land. Edge and his team of wily misfits must pull off a heist within the plane to settle their score with a man whose TV Show theme song involved tossed salads and scrambled eggs. Kelsey Grammar plays Darius Emmanuel Grouch III, aka "The Rumble" and he wants his money. I do not think there is anything more to say. This is so bad.

Score: 1/2 star (but really 0)

49. THE NEW MUTANTS

This has been in production purgatory for years. It was easy to predict poor performance. The New Mutants felt like a bot was forced to watch 1000 hours of X-Men content and all it came up with was this sad, pubescent, horror fanfic.

Rating: 1/2 star

48. ARTEMIS FOWL

Just a truly foul take on a fairly beloved kids series. There is no sense of direction or clear storytelling. It’s yet another mark against Kenneth Branagh as a director, despite his excellent performance in a movie much higher on this list, it is hard to overlook.

Artemis Fowl struggles to ever get off the ground; it may even dig below ground.

Rating: 1/2 star

47. FANTASY ISLAND

Rating: 1/2 star

NOT WHAT YOU LIKE TO SEE

46. THE LIE

This movie made me so mad. Joey King continues to cash those Blumhouse checks, but why is she still playing young teenagers moving into her twenties? This movie has such an unearned fake out that the whole movie feels meaningless. Framing this as a horror release in October when it’s barely even a suspenseful drama really hinders the plot points from having an impact at all.

Rating: 1 star

45. SCOOB!

Who is this movie for? The jokes were for someone entering middle age in the early-mid 2000s. Nothing fits together. Everyone loves Scooby-Doo, so why the attempt to make this a superhero team-up movie? There are so many unnecessary choices that take away from the charm of a conventional Scooby-Doo mystery. The 2002 live action movie is better than this.

Rating: 1 star

44. AVA

Rating: 1.5 stars

MEDIOCRITY IS KING

43. RUN

I do not and will never understand the fascination everyone has with Sarah Paulson. This is a perfectly fine movie, predictable, and fun enough to get through.

Rating: 2 stars

42. SWALLOW

An interesting study of conformity to gender roles in upper class life. Haley Bennett, as Hunter, provides a compelling performance, but the movie falls apart for me in the last half hour as she begins to lose her marbles.

Rating: 2 stars

41. THE SECRETS WE KEEP

Rating: 2 stars

40. CAPONE

Tom Hardy’s take on gangster Al Capone as he suffers near the end of his life is completely unhinged. This belongs right alongside his takes on Bane, Max Rockatansky, and Farrier. Hardy seems to struggle with finding a way to talk in a normal voice. Let’s just say that some of these work better than others.

Rating: 2 stars

39. THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

Rating: 2 stars

38. HUBIE HALLOWEEN

Objectively, this is probably an even worse movie than this position signifies. However, there is something about Adam Sandler that always makes me laugh. I don’t think I’m alone since Netflix signed him to a $275 million 4 movie deal. I really enjoyed bringing the Happy Gilmore group back together with Julie Bowen and a cameo from Ben Stiller. I laughed. I had enough of a good time to enjoy it.

Rating: 2 stars

37. THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME

The Devil All The Time provides a depraved, nihilistic take on generational sin and trauma. Normally, I’m interested in humorous (The Big Lebowski), dread-filled (Synecdoche, New York), or savage (Se7en—Read Roger Ebert’s Review) explorations of nihilism, but this just frankly should not have been a movie. Despite its loaded cast, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. It would’ve been easier to flesh out the characters in a mini-series. Tom Holland turns in a performance against type, in preparation for the upcoming realease Cherry, which shows a lot of promise for a career beyond your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man. I’m also curious where the talented Eliza Scanlen (Sharp Objects) and Riley Keough (It Comes at Night) go next. There was a lot of potential here, but it was spread too thin. Ultimately, The Devil All The Time barked and bit at mostly nothing but itself.

However, it does feature this:

Rating: 2 stars

36. HILLBILLY ELEGY

Similar to The Devil All The Time, Hillbilly Elegy had high hopes due to its cast. However, this movie, though clearly a deeply personal and real story, felt inauthentic due to its awards aspirations. The performances felt like they were trying to win awards rather that tell the gut wrenching story of JD Vance’s actual life. I do not hate this movie, like many critics, because I think there was a good movie possible with what they have. The flashback sequences were jumbled together and the writing fell flat. It felt like they had all of the right pieces to the puzzle, but decided to put it together wrong on purpose.

P.S. I hope Glenn Close and Amy Adams get their Oscars as much as anyone, just not for this.

Rating: 2 stars

35. BLOODSHOT

Vin Diesel continues to do Vin Diesel things. It was nice to see Guy Pearce. I’ll give Bloodshot some credit for its twist, which I won’t spoil, but overall this movie thinks it’s a lot smarter than it is. It feels like an ode to much earlier superhero movies that didn’t have much to say and weren’t as large scale as the MCU and DCEU movies of the current moment.

I still prefer to see Vin with his Fast and Furious family.

Rating: 2 stars

34. WONDER WOMAN 1984

Most of these reviews are written moments after the credits roll. I tend to write with a gut reaction, but I decided to sleep on this one. I didn’t know what to say, probably because it left me with so many questions. Why did Chris Pine come back in another man’s body? Why did so many characters make the decisions they made? Why did a movie set in the 80s look like it had a brown filter over it the whole time? It needed more color. It needed more life. I thought the first hour or so was really good. Gal Gadot is truly a fantastic Wonder Woman and I like her chemistry with Chris Pine, but her arc of loving him was the same as the first movie. I really liked the first movie and this one feels like a retread. I am not going to address Kristen Wiig turning into a cat. The CGI gets progressively worse as we trudge through the 155 minute runtime and Pedro Pascal’s “The Art of the Deal” Trump impression was just too much for me. I don’t think every movie has to comment on the current climate to be relevant. Overall, the campiness of this movie worked well and is a welcome change from the darkness found in most DCU films, but Wonder Woman’s lasso couldn’t pull me into the story enough.

Rating: 2 stars

33. ONWARD

A lackluster Pixar effort that is probably hindered by the fact that I am an only child. Onward is heartwarming and creative with Pixar’s normal flare, but it comes up short of their recent run of new releases like Coco and Inside Out that aren’t following in the footsteps of pre-existing intellectual property. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt are a lot of fun, but they were not enough to push this one over the hump for me.

Rating: 2.5 stars

THE FUN AND THE WORTH SEEING

32. REBECCA

Rebecca is an unnecessary reboot of Alfred Hitchcock’s lone best picture winner. Lacking some of the magic of Hitchcock’s filmmaking, this version seeks to distance itself from the original by dubbing it another take on the Daphne du Maurier novel instead. The Netflix glossy sheen can make Manderly feel like a dream, but doesn’t match the inner turmoil that should be occurring within the new Mrs. De Winter, played by the plucky Lily James, opposite her husband, Armie Hammer. Kristin Scott Thomas is unsurprisingly the best part of this classic tale. Rebecca fails to climb the mountain of its 1940 counterpart, but is well worth checking out for the minor differences.

Rating: 3 stars

31. FREAKY

Rating: 3 stars

30. BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

Birds of Prey suffers from how good Margot Robbie’s acting continues to be. She dominates the screen when the bit players could have used more time to shine. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Chris Messina really should’ve been given more to do in particular. I really enjoyed their characters. The majority of this film is spent getting the team together and the team was fun but didn’t get enough time to mesh. Perhaps the most important aspect of Birds of Prey is that it features quite possibly the greatest looking egg sandwich of all time.

Rating: 3 stars

29. THE OLD GUARD

Charlize Theron cements her place as the greatest female action star by building on her excellent portrayal of Imperator Furiosa in the critically acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road and her gritty performance in Atomic Blonde. The Old Guard attempts to create an action franchise for Netflix to build on. With interesting mythology and a breakout performance from Kiki Layne, known for her much softer performance in If Beale Street Could Talk, there is potential for some expanded world-building. The Old Guard is a solid, middle of the road action flick with big enough stars to push it slightly above average.

Rating: 3.5 stars

28. HAMILTON

Hamilton is a good time. It’s hard to capture a Broadway production while creating a cinematic experience. I wouldn’t say that Hamilton succeeds in this completely, but the music and performances from Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., and a comedic turn from Mindhunter’s Jonathan Groff are all fantastic. The nearly 3-hour runtime flies by and is well worth the watch.

Rating: 3.5 stars

27. EXTRACTION

Rating: 3.5 stars

26. THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW

This is Jim Cummings’s second feature as writer, director, and star following up 2018’s Thunder Road. This is a rare movie that really should’ve been longer coming in at just 83 minutes. This is a pretty dry horror-comedy that has enough to keep you entertained over its runtime. It is the last appearance for the late Robert Forster, playing Jim Cummings’s, John, father and town sheriff. However, I could not take a movie with Jimmy Tatro super seriously. Cummings shines in a similar performance to his cop in Thunder Road.

Rating: 3.5 stars

25. SAVE YOURSELVES!

What would happen if you dropped two millennials from Brooklyn in upstate New York without their phones or any technology in the middle of an alien attack? How would they react? Would they survive? That’s the premise for this probably barely watched movie starring Sunita Mani and John Reynolds. A creative choice to use some fluffy looking aliens as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

24. EMMA

Vanity. Arrogance. Love.

Anya Taylor-Joy redeems herself from the dullness of The New Mutants in this quirky, British romantic comedy. Based on Jane Austen’s novel and a reimagining of the 1996 release, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, this rendition effectively continues the lineage of Emma productions with a fun, yet dry comedic style. I would argue that this version is decidedly more British and thus worked more for me than the 1996 feature. Beautifully shot, yet a little hard to follow in some places, this retelling is well worth seeing.

Rating: 3.5

23. ENOLA HOLMES

We’re a bit oversaturated with Sherlock Holmes content this century, but this is slightly more fun and different exploration of the beloved stories of Sherlock Holmes through lens of his sister Enola, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. Henry Cavill gives a valiant effort as Sherlock, but definitely pales in comparison to Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch. Overall, this was a lot of fun and a better effort, in my opinion, at gender flipping some classic stories. Netflix may have found themselves a little franchise with some big potential.

Rating: 3.5 stars

22. THE INVISIBLE MAN

I enjoyed The Invisible Man. There is a lot to like about it. Elizabeth Moss is incredible, the camerawork acts as an additional character, and it has a solid amount of twists and shocks (the restaurant scene in particular). However, something about the last stretch just didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of the movie. I look forward to seeing what Leigh Whannell does next. He is on a little bit of a role after this and Upgrade, which is probably the most underrated movie of 2018.

Rating 3.5 stars

21. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

Aaron Sorkin writing and directing a courtroom drama?

In all honesty, the writer of A Few Good Men brings his snappy dialogue to a colorful cast of characters outlining a trial in the late 60s that feels like it could be happening live. This movie was good, but something about the tone of the dialogue and the weight of the subject matter did not mesh for me. I felt like intercutting some joking behavior along side found footage from the actual events took away from the power of the statements being made. However, I will always enjoy a good courtroom drama and few can deliver that rush quite like Sorkin, even if this should’ve been a stage play.

Rating: 3.5 stars

20. THE WAY BACK

Ben Affleck’s melding of real-life struggle with this fictional representation of a basketball coach is as moving as Gavin O’Connor’s other takes on the male sports emotional drama. It doesn’t reach the heights of 2011’s Warrior, but the meta aspects of the story elevate the weaker areas to produce a solid drama.

Rating: 3.5 stars

WAY BETTER THAN THEY SHOULD BE

19. THE VAST OF NIGHT

Rating: 4 stars

18. BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

Bad boys, bad boys

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When they come for you

This movie should not be good, but it still builds on the humor and charm of the earlier installments. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Bennett in the vain of Danny Glover’s too old and over it mentality in the Lethal Weapon franchise. However, they’ve definitely still got it.

Rating: 4 stars

17. SOUL

Soul is not a children’s movie, despite its humor, childlike animation, and Pixar’s typical charming resolution. It’s not a kid’s movie primarily because of itss subject matter which dives into the depths of the unknown. It chooses to steer our ship into both the afterlife and the “before” life in an attempt to explain the purpose of life and it is for that reason that I love this movie and feel as though it falls just short of its goal. The performances are fantastic and the animation is breathtaking. That craft is why it is so far up this list. However, its inability to land a gut punch moment in the vain of Pixar’s predecessors left me wanting more. It left me wanting more because they chose to make such a philosophical, spiritual film without wrestling with some of the harder aspects of life. Another movie farther up this list landed that better for me and if I’d seen Soul first I might have felt differently, but for now Soul is the kid’s movie version of handling and shooing away the hard questions of life.

Rating: 4 stars

16. MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM

Rating: 4 stars

15. DRIVEWAYS

For me, this is one of the most heartwarming movies of the year. It’s a quaint story about friendship starring Brian Dennehy is one of his final screen performances. If you’re looking for a nice movie, with some hope in this trying times, I can’t recommend this enough.

Rating: 4 stars

14. POSSESSOR

I won’t get into plot details, because it is very hard to explain, but Possessor is messed up. This is a visceral, bloody, and in many ways, excruciating film. However, following in his father’s footsteps, Brandon Cronenberg is carving out a path as a talented filmmaker. Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott are truly incredible talents. This one is a squirmer and definitely not for everyone. I can’t even tell you if I liked it, but the practical effects were fantastic.

Rating: 4 stars

13. NOMADLAND

Nomadland is a character study on grief and finding purpose in a life that no longer feels like your own. Frances McDormand is truly one of the greats and I could recognize Ludovico Einaudi’s music anywhere. His score adds a level of beauty that truly magnifies the vastness of the scenary explored by McDormand’s Fern and her van, Vanguard. Sometimes life feels inevitable. Nomadland is a moving character study that juxtaposes the vastness of our unexplored physical surroundings with our unwillingness to delve into the depths of pain in our own lives. Nomadland is a beautiful film.

Rating: 4 stars

12. DA 5 BLOODS

Between Da 5 Bloods and 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, I think it’s safe to say that Spike Lee has returned to form. Overextending itself a little to tackle its many themes, there is enough heart, pain, and adventure to propel this to great heights. Plus, Delroy Lindo gives one of the few Oscar-worthy bids of the year. His monologue while walking through the difficult Vietnam terrain, is blunt and breathtaking. Jonathan Majors also continues to build an impressive resume ahead of his entrance into the MCU.

Spike Lee continues to relentlessly mine the depths of trauma and its impacts on people in the country. While not reaching the heights of masterpieces exploring racial tensions like Do The Right Thing or the impacts of 9/11 in 25th Hour, Da 5 Bloods grapples with some generational trauma along with the effects of Vietnam in an unconventional fashion to bring home another Spike Lee gem.

Rating: 4 stars

11. THE GENTLEMEN

Guy Ritchie’s raucous, raunchy return to his gangster roots after his much maligned King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and financially successful Aladin brings a fresh gust of air into the director’s sails. Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam provide a good base with Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, and Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery filling in the gaps. Jeremy Strong is clearly headed for big things between this, Succession, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Hunnam and Farrell really shine throughout. This isn’t Ritchie’s strongest effort, but it’s a lot of fun.

Rating: 4 stars

10. PALM SPRINGS

I will never not think Andy Samberg is funny. Palm Springs takes Groundhog Day and turns it on its head. The “stuck in one day” movie has run out of runway in recent years, but this was a lot of fun. Cristin Milioti is very charming and her chemistry with Samberg keeps this one from going off the rails. J.K. Simmons brings some extra flare that I won’t spoil.

Rating: 4 stars

THE BEST OF THE YEAR

9. BOYS STATE

Boys State is a perfect encapsulation of our current political climate. This biting political commentary by way teenagers finding their way in the world is gripping, tense, and heartfelt. More than anything, I feel that Boys State illustrates that the fears and insecurities we face in our teenage years continue to be those that we face moving forward into adulthood.

Following four boys as they compete in Texas Boys State, Steven emerges as a leader whom, I believe, we all could listen to right now. This is partly due to his propensity to listen and the passion that dwells in his heart. We all want to be heard and we all want to believe in someone, to a point. Boys State helps us to understand how and why trust matters. However, those who can be trusted most rarely win.

Rating: 4.5 stars

8. UNDINE

“maybe my heart did skip a beat
but then it started beating again under your hand

Undine is Christian Petzold’s forray into the mythical by melding it together with reality to tell a story of elegance and tragedy. No one understands the desperation of love quite like Petzlold. The performances carry this one, as Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski really deliver. I learned more about Berlin architecture than I thought I ever would and had a good time doing it. The folklore intertwined with the past and present feels very modern and projects a sense of place and purpose. There are images here that will stick in my mind for years to come.

Rating: 4.5 stars

7. FIRST COW

First Cow is an example of expert storytelling. It has symmetry, adventure, and somehow manages to make milking a cow feel like a tense bank heist. I can’t remember seeing John Magaro or Orion Lee in a movie before this, but they are magnificent as Cookie and King Lu. Perhaps most important, Cookie’s oily cakes (pictured below) are one of the great foods created on screen. Between the performances and the writing, Kelly Reichardt may have another masterpiece under her belt.

Rating: 4.5 stars

6. TENET

This is Christopher Nolan’s Bond movie. I followed this pretty well, despite the poor sound mixing. He still struggles to write female characters, but I was mesmerized by the action. For some reason, I’m able to look past a lot of aspects of Nolan’s movies that probably don’t work, but for me, it doesn’t matter. Also, this was my first venture back into theaters in the COVID-19 era so there’s an added layer of sentimentality.

John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki all bring great performances. I would love Washington to get his own spy franchise, not necessarily a sequel to this, but something that allows the former college athlete to show off his action prowess. Washington and Pattinson bring some solid buddy cop energy to the table, but not quite the sarcasm duel found in movies like Tango & Cash. Overall, this was a lot of fun, well made, and allowed Christopher Nolan to reassert his dominance as the king of action set pieces.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

I could go on, but I hope you get the point.

P.S. The score in this movie is the most propulsive thing I have ever heard.

Rating: 4.5 stars

5. MINARI

Minari is probably the most tender movie of the year. I was able to see this A24 release as a part of the Hamptons International Film Festival virtual screenings. Minari is an autobiographical drama from Lee Isaac Chung that looks at a Korean-American family starting a farm in the midst of the Reagan-era optimism of the 1980s. The Arkansas terrain provides a dreamlike beauty contrasting the physical and emotional turmoil experienced within this family.

Minari is a film of memories. It is about growing up and trying to survive in a world you don’t recognize. From young David realizing that he’s stronger than he’s been told to a wily grandmother who arrives like a tornado to a couple trying to save one another and their marriage, this heartfelt story taps into a very particular stress found in humanity. All of the performances were truly fantastic, especially Steven Yeun, Will Patton, and Youn Yuh-jung.

I found Minari to be both beautiful and fulfilling.

Rating: 4.5 stars

4. I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

I honestly don’t know what to say about this. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is not a movie for everyone. It’s also not new territory for Charlie Kaufmann, known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Synecdoche, New York. However, his ability to tap into our yearning for meaning and the inevitable existential dread associated with this pursuit strikes a chord with my penchant for philosophical discussion and intense wrestling. I want to be careful not to spoil this masterful, yet exceptionally convuluted and confusing plot. Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl) and Jesse Plemmons (Friday Night Lights) are exceptional and their talents are on display here both through bombast and restraint.

“Everything has to die. That’s the truth. One likes to think that there is always hope. That you can live above death. And it’s a uniquely human fantasy that things will get better, born perhaps of the uniquely human understanding that things will not. There’s no way to know for certain. But I suspect humans are the only animals that know the inevitability of their own deaths. Other animals live in the present. Humans cannot, so they invented hope.

— Young Woman, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

The tensions within this movie tap into inherently human feelings, thoughts, and emotions. We all want to be loved. We all want to feel that our life matters and meaning can come from work, love, or beauty in this world. It’s hard to beleive that someone with this much success would write something with such a bleak point of view. However, it is only on the mountaintop that one may see that which lies beneath and I’m Thinking of Ending Things is that valley. It is the depths of sorrow that can only be found in the machinations of the human mind and the what-ifs bouncing around in that darkness. Maybe hope is futile in the mind of Kaufman or his characters, but I disagree.

Rating: 4.5 stars

3. MANK

Mank was my most anticipated movie of 2020. David Fincher is probably my favorite active director. He has the ability to create incredibly provocative images that continue to last in my mind. From Se7en to The Social Network, I find myself interested in the depths of darkness that inhabit or plague his characters. Fincher famously said, “People will say, 'There are a million ways to shoot a scene,' but I don't think so. I think there are two, maybe. And the other one is wrong.” His attention to detail and exploration of obsession are hallmarks of his style. However, Mank offers a different critique and this one is far more personal.

Fincher’s father wrote the script for Mank and, in many ways, Fincher chooses to honor screenwriters, their ideas, and critique those who choose to lord their power over them. In addition, it is hard to look past how much Fincher’s depiction of Orsen Welles looks like Fincher, himself. I think this is a critique of his own perfectionism and the credit directors seek to take over the projects that become totems of their own identity. Mank is good on almost every level. The cast is brilliant, led by outstanding performances from Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, and Lily Collins, the cinematography is stunning, and the writing is filled with snappy dialogue. Ultimately, Mank is another feather in Fincher’s cap. It seeks to be less of a historical document arguing about the ownership of the great Citizen Kane and more of a text with which to critique Old Hollywood’s power dynamics and offer a love story for those attempting to creatively craft counter-cultural narratives, particularly a father.

Rating: 4.5 stars

2. SOUND OF METAL

“I wonder, uh, all these mornings you’ve been sitting in my study, sitting, have you had any moments of stillness? Because you’re right, Ruben. The world does keep moving, and it can be a damn cruel place. But for me, those moments of stillness, that place, that’s the kingdom of God.

Riz Ahmed delivers an outstanding performance as heavy metal drummer coming to grips with losing his hearing, and as a result his identity. This former addict’s reckoning with who he truly is transcends almost anything I have watched this year. In a year where we have focused on so much of what we’ve lost, we cannot lose sight of what there is to gain in the absence. Sound of Metal takes Soul and throws it into the real world showing how a loss of opportunity, purpose, and value shakes our being to the core. We may fight and scrap to get back to where we were or who we were before certain life tragedies, but that is an unattainable mission. Sometimes a moment of stillness in the chaos can do more for the soul than we could ever imagine.

I love this movie.

Rating: 5 stars

1. DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD

I’ve watched around 500 movies over the last two years. It’s a staggering number and many people may wonder why I have wasted so much time in lands apart from reality. My answer to why would in part be because I have been able to see movies like this. I firmly believe there is nothing more powerful, more interesting than real life.

Dick Johnson is Dead chronicles the final years of a man, Dick Johnson, battling dementia from the perspective of his daughter, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson. I go to the movies to feel because sometimes I struggle to grapple with my emotions. I go to the movies to understand life, because sometimes I’m tired of trying to understand. There are few movies that have made me feel as much as this. Maybe it is because of my deep relationship with both of my parents or maybe because loss is seared deep into our very being, but Dick Johnson is Dead taps into the depths of the soul, into our humanity and the inevitability of life.

I think this year has taught us a lot about mourning, about death, about our fears and helplessness, but there is something hopeful about living life, together in the face of these sometimes unexplainable hard times. Through Dick Johnson, I was able to see a loving father and a loving daughter experience life together in the midst of crisis. There are tears of joy, gratitude, and sadness in this life and those tears are always worth it in the connections they create between us and those we love.

Rating: 5 stars

The 10 Essential Dad Movies

As Father’s Day approaches, I have decided to embark on the quest on honing in on 10 of the most iconic dad movies of all time. Dad movies are everywhere, but it is important to lay out some ground rules. A dad movie usually has one or some of the following characteristics:

• Underdog Story

• Historical Leanings

• Sports

• Mindless Action

• Military Conflict

• Napability Rating

• Russell Crowe

These aspects will shape the essential dad movies moving forward, but first, we must recognize some honorable mentions. There are usually some recurring actors in these types of movies, the aforementioned Russell Crowe, along with Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell.

Honorable Mentions

A FEW GOOD MEN (1992)

A movie of towering performances from Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, as a marine has been murdered on a naval base but conspiracy lies beneath. Aaron Sorkin’s patented dialogue propels this movie forward as Tom Cruise seeks to uncover the truth.

THE SAINT (1997)

A goofy spy flick, based on a television series with the same name, that does not get the credit it deserves. Val Kilmer is coming off of his epic run of Tombstone, Heat, and Batman, but has just enough juice to make this movie watchable. His shape-shifting persona catches him at just the right time.

THE PATRIOT (2000)

History. Mel Gibson, an OG Dad Movie Hall of Famer. It is hard for me to leave this one out, but it just misses the cut. The Patriot also provides an opportunity for us to see Heath Ledger just before the launching point in his career.

HOOSIERS (1986)

Middle-America. Basketball. A personal favorite of mine.

COOL HAND LUKE (1967)

Paul Newman, in my opinion, is the best and coolest actor of all time. This is the story of a rebel. It’s one of my favorite movies. It has a historical edge and at some points offers a high amount of napping time. However, it just misses the cut as an essential.

FORD VS FERRARI (2019)

A new entry that has room to grow in the future. It has history. It is a little too long, increasing its napability. It has sports. It even has an underdog story, but it is too early to tell just how powerful Ford vs Ferrari will be in the Dad Movie Cannon.

The 10 Essential Dad Movies

GLADIATOR (2000)

History. Russell Crowe. Military Conflict. Mindless Action. A pseudo-underdog story. This is one of the greatest movies ever made.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!!

FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)

Grown Man Tears.

Kevin Costner is phenomenal in this Oscar nominated picture that should be so much hokier than it ends up being.

MIRACLE (2004)

One of the greatest underdog stories of all time. It offers plenty of napping options throughout the movie in some of the dips. Kurt Russell is a sneaky good Dad Movie Hall of Famer. It also scratches the sports and history itch quite well.

TOMBSTONE (1993)

I think every man wishes they could pull off a mustache half as well as Kurt Russell and Sam Elliot do in Tombstone. Tombstone provides a retelling of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. It has mindless action. It has some beloved actors, including an all time Val Kilmer performance. It’s also a Western which means there is bound to be a nap involved. I love this movie.

THE ROCK (1996)

Michael Bay is the king of mindless action. He had to be on the list. Also, Sean Connery, Nic Cage, and Ed Harris are strong contenders for the Dad Movie Hall of Fame.

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)

Based on the popular novel from Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, this film tracks Jack Ryan’s (Alec Baldwin") attempt to thwart Soviet Captain Marko Ramius’s, for some reason played by the very Scottish Sean Connery, rogue intentions. Focuses on the leftover tensions of the cold war. This movie offers some historical flair, mindless action, military conflict, and a fish out of water underdog performance from Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan.

CINDERELLA MAN (2005)

In my opinion, Cinderella Man has the highest napability on this list. Russell Crowe is once again the lead as we travel through the life of boxer James J. Braddock.

REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000)

Sports. A solid Denzel Washington performance. A mashup of history and fiction and a real heartwarming underdog story. Ryan Gosling will always be a liability at cornerback in my mind. Wood Harris desreved more roles beyond this and The Wire.

ROCKY (1976)

The pinnacle of underdog stories. I don’t know if there is much left to be said on Rocky.

MASTER AND COMMANDER (2003)

History. An underdog ship. Strong Napability. Russell Crowe. Mindless Action. Military Conflict. You can even make a case that the boating in this movie is a sport. This movie checks all of the boxes and even offers a gruesome self-surgery scene. Arguably, it is the ultimate dad movie.

Joker: Nuance and Monoculture

“How can we remember our ignorance, which our growth requires, when we are using our knowledge all the time?”

— Henry David Thoreau

I am fascinated by the way that our culture has shifted argumentation, over the last few years in particular. I believe that the recent release of the movie Joker illustrates this reality perfectly. It amazes me how quickly we are to either prop up or tear down something before it is even released based on our leanings one way or another. I find this hard to understand, but the more I am learning about the changes occurring in day to day life, it seems that we value someone coming up with the first opinion rather than one that is more considered.

Joker is a complicated movie. I saw it. I feel like I can say this. I found it riveting in some places and cheap in others. At its core, I saw it as a film about a deranged man turning into a villain with no real purpose other than madness. He does not fit in, struggles to know the norms of this society, and finds humor in the brash pain that he takes part in and that is happening around him.

The discourse around this film has centered upon its praise and the violence that is depicted and some might say glorified throughout the film. I will say that I did not get this feeling. It is a hard film to watch, but I do not think it is glorified. I also think it is hard to play judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to art and its place in culture. Our ability to grapple with tough experiences is in some way dependent upon art and how it is conveyed to us.

I think as we pull further away from hard situations we have less to gain from our ignorance. We do not have all of the answers. I do not know if this movie was trying to say anything. I am no film expert. However, it grapples with hard issues, some that our culture does not have the gumption to even begin to talk about. I respect that.

Our disagreements as a nation have left us wanting for moments to experience something together because there are so many options. In doing so, I believe we have lost the ability to perceive, challenge, and wrestle with a cultural phenomenon beneficially. We live in a world where we all feel like experts, like our opinions matter and hold genuine weight in the lives of others and maybe they do. However, social media has shifted the power in this direction.

I would just challenge you to take a step back and think about the information you receive. Wrestle with it. You can take my opinions for what they are or not. Ultimately, that is all that it is, opinion and I hope that one day soon we will be able to debate without fear again.