First Time Viewings: December 2023
List activity
16 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
14 titles
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHarrison FordPhoebe Waller-BridgeAntonio BanderasArchaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.Viewed: 02-12-2023
As with the Star Wars franchise, I never watched the Indiana Jones' films growing up. I watched them all well after they were released, so I don't go into these with a nostalgia factor. I find them all fun to some extent but don't consider them masterpieces or anything near to one. So, with that being said, I would say I had the least fun with this film. Having fun is the reason these films exist in the first place so that makes it a disappointment. The film is overlong, bloated with CGI, and the humour is rather weak. There are also many plot points and situations that just don't add up.
On the plus side, there are certainly some excellent action set pieces and interesting ideas here and there, and it's great to see Harrison Ford give it one last shot playing Indy. While a lot of the charm from the earlier films has been lost, it's still has more than a lot of the other bombastic modern blockbusters, and I was still entertained. To a lesser degree, yes, but it's far from a complete failure like some feel it is.
6/10 - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghMichelle YeohJamie DornanIn post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.Viewed: 02-12-23
Kenneth Branagh's third film adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel is easily the best. The first one was good, the second was ok, and was expecting the downward trend to continue, but Branagh has pulled the rug from under me. This film is one of the best looking films I've seen in recent times, every single shot seems to have been meticulously crafted. The acting is all top notch, this time with far less big-name actors than previous films. And the central mystery with a supernatural (or is it?) twist is superbly written. I was hooked at every scene and juncture in this film and would recommend it to not just people who love a good mystery, but people who love a film that is so well crafted from set design to the music, the writing, the cinematography, and so on. Bravo Kenneth Branagh for pulling this one off.
9/10 - DirectorSam EsmailStarsJulia RobertsMahershala AliEthan HawkeA family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door.Viewed: 09-12-23
A family decide to take a much-needed vacation from city life and head out to an Airbnb on Long Island. Strange things start happening and then 2 strangers who claim to be the owners of the house they are staying in turn up unexpectedly. That's pretty much the start to this endlessly fascinating film that keeps you guessing at every turn. The camerawork is like its own character, it's so stunningly filmed. The characters are all interesting, the acting is great, and I really have nothing bad to say about this film except for a couple of minor plot holes, but you can't let them get in the way of a good story. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and they nailed the ending perfectly, which can be tricky in these types of films. It apparently went for nearly 2.5 hours, but it flew by so quickly I can't verify that. Very impressive on all fronts and highly recommended.
9/10 - DirectorDanny PhilippouMichael PhilippouStarsAri McCarthyHamish PhillipsKit Erhart-BruceWhen a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.Viewed: 09-12-23
Well filmed horror with an interesting premise. An unusual party game involving an embalmed hand that makes people who touch it, see dead people and get possessed by them. Not sure why anyone would willingly play this game, but teenagers do strange things these days. It does succumb to many horror movie cliches, like people making really stupid decisions that literally nobody would ever make, only so the plot can advance. It does have some really good dialogue and some really creepy scenes and is entertaining for the most part.
7/10 - DirectorDavid AyerStarsBrad PittShia LaBeoufLogan LermanA grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.Viewed: 09-12-23
David Ayer's WWII film isn't a particularly deep film but it's a brutal and entertaining one. While you never find out much about the central characters, and you probably don't care about them as much if you did, there's also not much of that sickening sentimentality that some war movies drown in. So I'll take it as it is. The acting is great and the many action scenes are intense and well shot. And while there's not much in terms of back story, the character development during the movie is certainly there. Not a masterpiece by any stretch but still an excellent war film.
8/10 - DirectorDean Fleischer CampStarsJenny SlateDean Fleischer CampIsabella RosselliniA cash-strapped documentary maker decides to make his newest documentary about a mollusk shell he finds living in his Airbnb with his friends.Viewed: 10-12-23
Engaging and satisfying film that seems light as a feather but has some interesting food-for-thought conversations throughout. It's sweet and innocent but also very clever and funny. Definitely a one-of-a-kind experience.
8/10 - DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsNaomi WattsEwan McGregorTom HollandThe story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.Viewed: 10-12-23
Intense recreation of the Boxing Day tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004. The movie focuses on a real-life family and their ordeal of the tragedy inflicted by Mother Nature on a Thai beach. The characters do get a tad annoying at times, but I'm sure that they were a tad annoying in real-life staring down the barrel of death too. Well-acted by all, and the child actors were up to the task. It becomes a little cloying by the end and has more than a few "disaster movie" tropes but for the most part it's quite engaging.
7/10 - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSoma SantokiMasaki SudaKô ShibasakiIn the wake of his mother's death and his father's remarriage, a headstrong boy named Mahito ventures into a dreamlike world shared by both the living and the dead.Viewed: 19-12-23
Hayao Miyazaki's likely swan song is a moving coming-of-age tale with many of his usual trademarks. The worlds and characters he has created throughout his career is something to behold admire. This is one of his slower paced films but still incredibly rewarding to watch. Not quite top tier Miyazaki but I still love it dearly.
Note: I watched the dubbed version and plan on watching the subbed version as soon as I get a chance.
9/10 - DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothJenna OrtegaBrittany SnowIn 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew find themselves fighting for their lives.Viewed: 23-12-2023
Surprisingly intelligent slasher with a rich atmosphere and a lot of time spent developing the characters and story before the gore starts. The death scenes are well choregraphed and very brutal and the actors are all up to the task playing people with depth rather than the usual shallow slasher characters. This is an incredibly satisfying horror and one of the best I've seen in a very long time.
9/10 - DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothDavid CorenswetTandi WrightIn 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation, and lovelessness of life on her parents' farm.Viewed: 24-12-23
The one thing X was missing was an in-depth back story to the old couple, so here it is, the prequel. Pearl is the old woman from the first film and here she is young with her whole future ahead of her. All she wants to get away from the farm, that feels more like a prison, and become a famous dancer/actress in Hollywood. This film certainly contains gore, but this is a psychological horror where it really delves into how she becomes what she becomes. Mia Goth is absolutely perfect in the titular role. The film is shot in vivid colours as if it's "The Wizard of Oz" and Pearl prances around the farm as if she's in a Golden Age technicolor musical. It's not as much "fun" as X was but what it lacks in that department it makes up for in spades with how truly disturbing it is. Ti West has created something quite special with the X and Pearl double bill, and now there's a 3rd installment on the way which I am now very excited for.
9/10 - DirectorPreston SturgesStarsBarbara StanwyckHenry FondaCharles CoburnA trio of classy card sharks targets a socially awkward brewery heir, until one of them falls in love with him.Viewed: 25-12-23
Classic Hollywood rom-com has naive Henry Fonda falling for the vivacious con-woman played to perfection by Barbara Stanwyck. Many clever scenes play out in typical Preston Sturges style though the film falters a little toward the end. The end scene is sheer perfection but the lead-up to the final scene is too quick and abrupt to fully savour the final scene. But it's a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, there are so many wonderful moments, and the actors have great chemistry together. I also feel like repeated viewings would be very rewarding.
9/10 - DirectorBradley CooperStarsCarey MulliganBradley CooperMatt BomerThis love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.Viewed: 25-12-23
This biopic of Leonard Bernstein has many exceptional scenes but Bradley Cooper seems determined to make a masterpiece and the end result is a little flat. As unique as Cooper tries to make it look, it still feels like a standard biopic for a lot of the time, episodic without much depth to what is going on. It does look great, and has excellent performances with many great scenes in amongst the dull, so it's still definitely worth a watch, but it's certainly a disappointment to me.
7/10 - DirectorTommy WirkolaStarsDavid HarbourJohn LeguizamoBeverly D'AngeloAn elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.Viewed: 27-12-23
David Harbour is perfect as Santa Clause who is defeated by the ungrateful kids he delivers presents to in the current day. He's become a miserable alcoholic. This is going to be his last year of his Santa duties before he quits as he just can't handle it anymore. As he's delivering gifts to a certain house, he sees a massage chair and succumbs to the temptation of sitting in it, then after a while of relaxation he hears gunfire and this where the action starts. Santa essentially becomes a John McClane type helping stop the bad guys from doing bad guy things. Though there's a lot of blood and gore, the film also does a decent job at being a sweet Christmas movie. It's a fun movie with a lot of sweetness hidden behind the rough exterior. Wears out its welcome a little by the sappy end but a worthwhile Christmas movie for adults.
7/10 - DirectorJulius AveryStarsJovan AdepoWyatt RussellMathilde OllivierA small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.Viewed: 27-12-23
This is a WWII B-Movie with a bigger budget than usual. It looks pretty good but plays it annoyingly straight for a good deal of it. It straddles the line of a serious WWII film and a trashy fun one, and never really succeeds at either. Plus, the characters are always doing stupid things to get the plot advancing and flesh this story out to get to feature-length. While I have gripes about certain things, there's still an interesting film here and it is entertaining, albeit on a lesser scale than I was hoping for.
6/10