Another potentially controversial rating, but I did love this movie. The songs are (mostly) very catchy and this new qdaptation kept the heart of the movie while removing the racism, ableism, homophobia, and the running pedophillic joke with Coach Carr. Renee Rapp as Regina and Auli'i Cravalho as Janice gave standout performances and I loved seeing their takes on the characters. Personally, the only thing I didn't enjoy was Cady. Her character was written as whiny and insufferable from the moment she comes on screen and, I hate to say this, but I do think that the part was too big for Angourie Rice. Her acting felt mousy and forced at times and, though she has a beautiful voice, it didn't match the songs or the voices of the other actors. If you feel you can watch without the clouded judgement from your deep personal connection with the original, you will probably really like it. It is freaking fetch!
Dan Levy stars in this film about a man whose husband suddenly passes away, leaving him and his found family to grieve the loss and face some uncomfortable truths about themselves and their relationships. The 3 friends travel to Paris and find romance, art, and acceptance they didn't know they were looking for. (As a side note, the funeral scene had me sobbing 10 minutes in so be prepared for waterworks)
Though this is my least favorite of the Willy Wonka stories, it was funny as hell. I am not one who found the original to be particularly creepy, but if you were I can imagine you would rate this movie even higher than I did. This take felt like I was watching a serial killer in a horror comedy. Especially when the squirrels drag that girl across the room and her nails are digging into the ground. Imagine that scene with intense thriller style music and tell me that isn't TERRIFYING. Definitely worth a rewatch sometime soon.
As a lover of all things King Kong, I went into this movie with high hopes and wasn't disappointed. We pick up in Hollow Earth, watching Kong explore his new home while Godzilla is preparing for a battle against an enemy no one has seen yet, and Jia is seeing visions she doesn't understand. The stories of all of our favorite characters are women together in such an interesting way and the battle scenes are both insane and gorgeous. We also meet several new characters - including my favorite little guy Mini Kong - who were incredibly fun to watch. I clapped, fist pumped, and even cried in the end.
The only reason this movie wasn't a perfect 10 is because it made me DEEPLY uncomfortable. This is intentional, but makes it hard for me to rate a perfect 10 because at times I was so uncomfortable I wasn't able to enjoy my watch time. That being said, this film was stunning. The story was unique and unhinged, the cinematography was entrancing, and Emma Stone gave the best performance of her career thus far (she deserved the Oscar hands down and had she not won I would have rioted). I do truly believe it is best to go into this one completely blind so I won't be going into the specifics of the plot, but if you are a Frankenstein fan and/or have a strong investment in the growth and success of women, this movie is for you.
Even though I just saw Wonka for the first time this month (March 2024) it is already my most watched movie of the year with 7 watches so far. Potentially it will be controversial that I rated it so high, but my ratings are based off of my enjoyment specifically and I absolutely loved this film. We follow Willy Wonka as he chases his dream of being a professional chocolate maker while also trying to get himself and his found family out of their endangered servitude contracts. Timothee Chalamet was a perfect Wonka, the world was iconically whimsical, the chocolate looked delicious, the songs have been stuck in my head all month, and it just generally brought me unparalleled levels of joy. If you are a fan of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this movie is a wonderful legacy sequel that will do wonders for your nostalgic heart.
Back to the Future meets Scream in this comedy, sci-fi, slasher about a teenage girl who travels back in time to stop a serial killer that has been terrorizing her parents' friend group since they were in high school. It is absolutely hilarious to see a gen Z-er navigate the 80s and to see a visual representation of the Mandela effect in real time. It wasn't perfect, but damn was it fun.
Another perfect 10 for Aubrey Plaza who plays one-third of a journalistic team sent to interview and investigate a man who placed a Craigslist ad looking for a partner to travel back in time with. However, once she meets him, we see the unfolding of a very unique science fiction rom-com that leaves you guessing until the very last second. This film tickled my brain in all the right places and if you enjoy time travel and/or romance, I would definitely recommend this movie.
I know I'm a bit late to the party with this one since it was released in 2014 but damn was it an excellent party! Aubrey Plaza takes a break from playing characters who are dead on the inside to play a character who is dead on the outside as well. After dying suddenly, she returns to life as a Zombie and reconnects with her family and boyfriend. But the longer she is back the more her brain decays leaving only the angriest (and apparently horniest) parts of her in tact. Though there is a lot of set up, once things begin to devolve this movie is truly hilarious. In this way, it is the Home Alone of the zombie film genre and I loved every minute of it.
Another Studio Ghibli masterpiece that blew me away with the incredible world building, beautiful artistry, and deeply loveable (and comical) characters. In this film we follow our protagonist through his journey of healing, self-discovery, and adventure when he moves to the countryside, after his mother is killed in WWII, and meets an eccentric Heron that tricks him into a magical castle that holds entire worlds within its walls. Every frame of this film was a work of art and it is hands down one of the best Ghibli films to date.
This is hands down one of the best films I have ever seen. It follows an immigrant owner of a laundromat who, through some wonderful science fiction, is able to experience what her life would be like if her decisions had been different. It was heartwarming and heartwrenching in equal measure. Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis killed their roles and brought comedy and existentialism to the screen in a way I have never experienced. It is not exaggerating to say that this film completely changed my outlook on my life and deepened my appreciation of the people in my life, especially my husband.
On the surface, this film is a typical rom-com in which one character goes into the relationship under false pretenses and later regrets tricking the other character. But once the story starts to unfold it becomes more about friendship, grief, and introspection. This film was hilarious and touching and has incredible rewatchability. And of course it has Jennifer Lawrence who is always amazing.
A teenage girl at a private boarding school in the Himalayas goes on a journey of self and sexual discovery in a beautiful and age appropriate portrayal of teenage desire and rebellion. Her coming of age experience is mirrored by her mother who never got to come of age herself. The two learn how to love and accept each other and themselves while traversing unfamiliar, and often very uncomfortable, territory.
Miles Morales is back in action alongside all of the characters we know and love from the first film, but this time, he is the one traveling to unfamiliar lands and trying not to glitch out of control. Though I think I like the first one slightly more, this movie does a wonderful job of avoiding the typical sequel slump. The story is riveting, the characters are true to themselves, and the twists keep the audience interested until the very end. Thank God they left it open for another one because I am not ready to leave the Spider-verse.
Dakota Fanning plays as a young adult autistic woman who runs away from her group home to enter a Star Trek screenwriting contest at Paramount Pictures. This was one of the most realistic representations of living on the autism spectrum that I have ever seen and it was incredible to see how this character processed her emotions and learned how to interact with the world. An absolutely beautiful film I would recommend to anyone looking for a story of discovery, resilience, and triumph.
A beautiful story told by a beautiful human being. This film did an incredible job portraying the lived experience of someone born outside the norm and how this creates an incredibly long but ultimately rewarding journey towards self-acceptance. I will always be grateful when someone is brave enough to share stories like these and the world is a better place because of them.
This film was an absurd, horny fever dream and I loved it. The animation was perfect for the nature of the story and the writers were able to fit 3 complete coherent stories into such a short time frame that it was genuinely impressive. I was laughing 99% of the time and I believe that was the point so mission accomplished.
3 siblings return home after the death of their mother. while facing their grief and packing up her home, they must decide how to post about her passing on social media. The film dives headfirst into understanding the complexities and performative nature of social media as well as the effect the virtual world has on our real world lives, choices, and relationships.
After our leads best friend jokingly tells her that if she died she would still come back to visit but not as a butterfly or a Coyote, as a portapotty, the friend is tragically hit by a car while crossing the street. While facing her grief, a construction company begins working in her neighborhood and a portapotty is put just outside her front yard. I initially picked this short film to watch because it sounded absurd, but after watching it I have eaten my words. This film was a poignant look at grief and healing in a unique and unexpected way.
Another Sundance short film that will stick with me for weeks, if not years to come. We follow our lead as he deals with either an intense haunting in his home, or the onset of dementia. Throughout the film, both he and the audience are unsure what is true and even after seeing it through his eyes, the film ends with more questions unanswered than answered. It is a truly gritty and heartbreaking depiction of mental health in the elderly community.
This was hands down the best short film I watched from this Years Sundance Film Festival. It centers around a young woman who is just out of treatment for an eating disorder. She invites her elderly, widowed neighbor for dinner to keep her accountable to her recovery. We watch as our lead celebrates eating a whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich, struggles not to purge after the meal, and, with the help of a new friend, embrace her own happiness. This film captures the humanity of the two women in an incredibly authentic and overwhelmingly emotional way.
This movie aged like milk. It started so cute and funny and wholsesome and very quickly devolved into something I can only describe as "icky." I wish the movie had exclusively focused on the fun concept of a kid becoming an adult and running a toy company and didnt try to force the romance between a 12/13 year old kid and a woman in her 30s. The fact that they had sex and then when she found out he was a kid she told him to keep her number and find her in 10 years brings the "ick" factor all the way up to 11. The acting was great, the piano scene was amazing, and the general concept was interesting as hell, but I probably won't be watching again.
Bottle Episodes are quintessential sitcom goodness and this one is perfect :ok_hand:
I think this may actually be my favorite episode of the series. :heart::heart::heart:
