3 — march '24

'24 mar 17:	The Nest (2020) the framing is passive & nothing revolutionary, but the actors' interplay as disjointed, suffering family under traditional expectations, and the final reunion scene make it really compelling, if not just once
'24 mar 16:	Hereditary (2018) its first 90 min feels disconnected, not setting up its characters meaningfully; so the family tragedy and hellish imagery comes across lackluster, despite its great camerawork, sound design, and ending
'24 mar 16:	Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) one of the most compelling animated sequels ever, expanding on the original with a truly absurd attention to detail and craftwork—and its sentimentality and tension in a coming-of-age story is great

2 — february '24

'24 feb 7:	Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) possibly the best singular superhero film of the 2010's, its animation style now ubiquitous and critically lauded for great reason; its emotion is amazingly realized, and it meshes new and old very creatively
'24 feb 6:	Poor Things (2023) bizarre and eccentric, fitting for its stellar actors' roles and creative direction; it fits in far too much explicit nudity, seemingly in a purposeful way if still off-putting, but the rest present is magnificent

4 — january '24

'24 jan 31:	Get Out (2017) its plot can be tepid or anticipated sometimes, but how it recontextualizes and begins peele's specific mix of body horror with the stellar, unsettling acting from those involved made it an instant classic
'24 jan 26:	Saltburn (2023) despite the at times beautiful cinematography and compelling performances, the actual plot development and its hand-holding unraveling at the end leaves it feeling empty; it's engaging, but only once
'24 jan 17:	Barbie (2023) despite the uncomfortable closeness of business interests in what should be this standalone, intriguing story of existential femininity, it still overall succeeds at it, as do its primary arcs
'24 jan 12:	Bullet Train (2022) in its place, a star-studded and self-referential bottled up cliché, constantly subverting itself just for the fun of it, it's a great time; there's nothing that reaches too high, but that's all the better

4 — december '23

'23 dec 30:	The Lighthouse (2019) absolutely deranged, pretentious in just the right way, with two ecstatic leads; it's slow to start, but its end ties it up well, with mangled, heavenly shrieks of success right before it's taken away
'23 dec 30:	Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) purely commercial, and all of it keeps a flat idea singular; the simple matter of the plot and how little it is expanded upon corners itself firmly as a non-starter, confining it instead of branching out
'23 dec 29:	Black Swan (2010) it is completely unnerving and incalculable at times, an unreliable account of a descent into artistic perfection while losing yourself completely; it is not perfect, but its final performance is
'23 dec 15:	The Boy and the Heron (2023) if truly his last, miyazaki's semi-autobiographical journey of life, death, time, and the powers that be within his earliest memories is fantastical with as pretty a painting as his best; it isn't perfect, but its depth is undeniable

2 — november '23

'23 nov 15:	The Menu (2022) it gives curve balls in an intriguing way, allowing for an enthralling first watch—and the leads' acting is effectual in what it's trying to do—but it simply stands as a one off, a film for that initial, wild thrill
'23 nov 9:	Princess Mononoke (1997) the beautiful animation, the extremely solid storyline couched in fantastical wonder and early history war, and nearly all of the dynamic characters combine altogether into a one of a kind movie