I love when a movie delivers on exactly what you need/want it to be. For Abigail, I was looking forward to a gory, fun vampire romp and I got exactly that. So, for my money, it’s one of the year’s best flicks so far.
For those unfamiliar, Abigail is directed by the team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, also known collectively as Radio Silence. In recent years, they have propelled themselves towards the top of my list of favorite horror directors. Ready or Not and their two Scream all are among my favorite horror flicks of the last five years. There are a few things you can expect when Radio Silence is at the helm. 1. It’s going to get brutal. We’re talking buckets upon buckets of fake blood. 2. It’ll feature a strong female protagonist to rival Ellen Ripley or Sarah Connor. And 3 and perhaps most importantly, you’re going to laugh a lot. They are perhaps the current masters of the horror-comedy. Abigail is no exception for any of those and is yet another wonderful achievement in the resume of directors I already love so much. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire viewing experience. It was tense. It was creepy. It made me laugh out loud. It was absolutely everything I hoped it’d be. Radio Silence truly are masters at their craft.
I’ve got to give a shoutout to the amazing cast of this as well. I think I need to go back and watch Netflix’s Matilda because this movie absolutely has me sold on Alisha Weir. She does such a good job switching between the cute, innocent kidnapping victim and the brutal, stern, sarcastic vampire killing machine in a heartbeat. It’s been a while since a child actor has sent chills down my spine quite like this. Then, of course, Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens continue their run at being horror movie badasses. But, I’ve got to give extra credit to Kathryn Newton who has sneakily established herself as a bit of a horror icon. There are sequences of this movie that when put together with Freaky and this year’s Lisa Frankenstein create quite the montage of scary, fabulous imagery. It’s always Mia Goth this and Jenna Ortega that, but I’m here to say I see you Kathryn. You’re a spooky queen too. Keep up the good work.
As you can probably tell, I loved Abigail. It’s a simple, fun movie that delivers on its premise. Just a couple bad people looked in with a little girl vampire. It’s fun. It’s bloody. And I’ll take movies like this any day of the week. You can bet I’ll be first in line for the next Radio Silence flick.
I’m not going to lie. I was a little nervous about Civil War. After years of hearing that “this is where we’re headed” and “everyone knows which side would win” and blah blah blah, scary, scary, scary, I was afraid this might be a bit exploitative. The timing just seemed off to be making a fantasy, action movie out of something that felt so possible. Why make a movie about us being divided when we’re more divided than ever? Well, see? That’s kind of the point. Civil War is not only tense, scary, and incredibly smart. It’s also the exact movie we need right now.
First off, I think the way this movie went about portraying a future Civil War was brilliant. Saying it’s apolitical seems kind of ridiculous, because it’s a movie about a Civil War, of course it’s political. But, the politics are very much pushed to the background. We never really learn why the country is at war. We don’t know what any of the troops are fighting for. But, that’s not the point of the movie. It’s not interesting in picking sides. I think picking California and Texas as the rebellious states was very intentional. Choose a super conservative one and a super liberal one, so that way no one is really picking sides. Hell, it doesn’t want you rooting for anyone. It just wants you to sit in the horror of this situation. It’s about feeling the dread of this country going to shit. It’s about getting that chill down your spine as iconic landmarks are destroyed left and right. It’s the horror of seeing American citizens gunned down by their own government. By putting the focus on journalists instead of soldiers, the message here is very clear: don’t let it get to this. Because no one wins in this situation. If you have any love for your country or just civilization in general, this should absolutely be a last resort. And, in a world where it seems like half the country is actively rooting for something like this, that message feels extremely important.
But, since the world of the movie is already there, let’s talk about the actual conflict because this movie is tense! There were so many scenes where I was on the edge of my seat, dreading what was going to happen next. You never feel like any of the characters are safe, because they are civilians in the middle of a warzone. There are sequences where you’re literally just sitting around waiting for one of them to be shot. And don’t get me started on that hostage situation prominently featured in the trailers. That scene will probably stick with me forever. The suspense is through the roof. Then, when action does occur, it’s often extremely violent and terrifyingly brutal. All, again, to send the message of “let’s not.”
So, yeah, I definitely recommend Civil War. It’s a great thriller with a very important message that hits hard. Actually, you know what? I would go as far as to call it a horror film. Because, god damn, some of this imagery will stick with me more than even the scariest of movies. So, yeah, go check it out. Get scarred. And, then maybe, just maybe let’s prevent this from becoming a reality.
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Legendary’s Monsterverse since the very beginning. There are parts of this franchise that I absolutely love and then decisions I can’t even begin to fathom how they were made. I want to have fun and laugh at the stupidity the way I would a Fast & Furious, but they’re so bogged down with exposition and boring characters. The newest entry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, unfortunately does very little to reverse that trend. My feelings on this movie are very similar to my feelings on the franchise overall; very middling.
First of all, you should know right off the rip that this is barely a Godzilla movie. No, that’s not a comment on the fact that there are too many human characters. It’s just that he’s barely in this movie. The plot revolves around King Kong, so he gets most of the screen time. Godzilla is very much a secondary character. And, honestly, this almost would’ve benefited from being a solo Kong movie. I understand that you’ve now built a universe where these two titans know each other, so it’s hard to resist the urge to have everything be a teamup. After all, that’s how you maximize prophets. But, Marvel doesn’t make everything an Avengers movie for a reason. Sometimes the story only needs the one character.
On that note, holy crap, does this movie owe the Planet of the Apes franchise a beer. There are extended sequences where we are just watching the internal politics of an ape colony, but, unlike that franchise, none of them are speaking English (it’s grunts and yells) and the politics aren’t particularly interesting. If there is a hater of the new Apes series, I suggest they watch this instead and gain a little perspective. Those movies seem a million times better by comparison.
Oh, but don’t worry. It’s not all monkeys. Like every freaking movie in this goddamn franchise, the human characters are here to bog things down. Remember Rebecca Hall’s character from the last movie? Yeah, me neither. But she’s back! I hope you’re invested in her relationship with her daughter because that’s 50% of the runtime. Every time this movie picks up any momentum, it’s ground to a halt by the most one dimensional characters having the most cliche development. Why? Does anyone care? Is there one person out there who bought a ticket specifically to see the continuation of their story? This franchise has seen tons of big names come and go, but literally none have left an impact. We’re here to see a big, atomic lizard team up with a giant ape. That’s literally it. Please for the love of god, just give us that. Or, you know what, let’s make a deal. You can have your human characters, but only if the plot is as strong as Godzilla Minus One. Otherwise, stick to the fun stuff. Deal? Deal.
But, I’ll give this movie props where it deserves them. Some of the stuff with the kaiju is actually quite cool. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are moments that legit put a smile on my face. The ongoing gag about Godzilla’s “bed” especially made me laugh out loud every time. And, yes, even the King Kong power glove, despite being incredibly stupid is a cool idea. There is fun to be had in this movie. For some, probably enough to justify buying a ticket. I wish that was me. I want to have fun with these the same I do Fast & Furious, but they just have such tonal issues. They want to both be taken incredibly seriously while also having a big monkey ride a big dinosaur into battle. It just doesn’t work for me.
Overall, my problem with Godzilla x Kong is what I’ve been saying for ten years now. “Godzilla is not perfect, but the scenes he’s in are really cool.” “King of the Monsters sucks because I don’t get to see the monsters enough.” And now “The New Empire could be fun if it wasn’t bogged down by these human characters.” I can’t keep giving these movies a pass based on a learning curve. At some point, they need to learn their lesson. Or is this just the movies they’re set on making? After all, CGI is expensive. Maybe they can’t afford a whole movie of just Godzilla and Kong. I don’t know. I have a feeling they’d make more money if they leaned in to the absurdity. I know I’d see them twice in theaters. Unfortunately, this falls into line with King of the Monsters as one I don’t think I’d ever want to watch again. Maybe a highlight reel, but never the full thing. It’s just so dull.
TL;DR: Like every movie in this franchise, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire would be dumb fun, if it didn’t bog down its story with unnecessary, boring human characters.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has to be one of the most studio mandated movies I’ve seen in my entire life. You know how Sony is pumping out Spider-Man spinoffs not for the love of the characters or the art of cinema, but simply so their rights to use those characters doesn’t expire. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to them whether the movie is good or bad. It just needs to exist. It’s a contractual obligation. That’s how Frozen Empire feels. But, it actually feels even more nefarious than that because, as far as I know, the rights are not in jeopardy. This franchise is not going anywhere. This was an attempt to “strike while the iron was hot” regardless of whether they had anything to say or not. Regardless, seemingly, of whether the script was ready. Regardless of whether there was passion to tell another story. Say what you will about Afterlife. Sure, it was a bit hokey and overly nostalgic, but at least there was passion behind it. It was clear that Jason Reitman wanted to honor the legacy of the franchise and the comedic talent behind it, his dad included. Ultimately, it was a gigantic project of passion and, regardless how you feel about the “member berries” of it all, you could feel the passion through the screen. This is the exact opposite. It’s a soulless, corporate product which exists only to cash in on your good feelings towards the franchise. It’s an insult to fans of this franchise or, frankly, fans of franchise movies in general. If you can’t tell, I left the theater in a really, really bad mood.
Perhaps the biggest insult of all is how mind-numbingly boring this thing is. It opens with a sequence that should feel exciting but instead comes across as hollow. Sure, you’ve got the Ecto-1, the proton packs, and the traps. It’s all there, in theory, but in practice it simply doesn’t land. You know those Walmart commercials that use iconic cars or characters, but don’t create any emotion outside of “hey, I know that thing”? That’s how this felt. But, instead of a 30 second spot during the Super Bowl, it’s a 15 minute sequence you just paid $10 to see.
Then, the movie absolutely grinds to a halt, as we’re treated to about an hour of exposition. You see? To Dan Aykroyd Ghostbusters is not just a silly comedy. It’s a very “scientific,” “fact-based” movie. Over the years, I’ve seen clip after clip of him explaining the paranormal in excruciating detail. Well, it appears that after five movies they finally gave the man a chance to actually put that nonsense in a movie. And, boy oh boy, it’s as painful as those clips. Dan, I love you. I do. But, I, simply, do not care how the world of Ghostbusters works. It’s not exciting or relevant to me. The first movie had minimal explanation and we all understood everything just fine. And, honestly, the little that was present back then only worked because we had Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson standing by to roll their eyes at everything. They were us. This movie just has a cast full of literal Spanglers. There is no common man to help us out.
Don’t worry though. Ghostbusting is coming. The big bad will be here any minute… after another 20 minutes of lore dumping. And then a ton of buildup about how scary this guy is going to be. He’s the worst of the worst. He’ll freeze everyone. New York is screwed if/when this guy gets out. And, worst yet, he’s going to free all of the other ghosts. Pandemonium will ensue. Mass hysteria. Dogs and cats living together. And… (minor spoilers) oh, he’s defeated super easily. Literally, there’s a five minute “fight” and this threat is gone. To borrow a phrase from Screenrant, super easy. Barely an inconvenience. Don’t worry that we just spent an hour and a half building up to this. You already paid your money. It doesn’t matter if you get a payoff, right?
Another thing that bogs down this movie is the overabundance of characters. This thing has a ton of main characters. Not only do we have the original Ghostbusters, we’ve also got the entire cast (yes, even the pointless side characters) of Afterlife returning and, then, an additional handful that are new to this movie specifically. All in all, there are like 15 named, important characters to balance in this entry. And you want to know how many exist to serve the story? Like four, maybe five. This is McKenna Grace’s movie with Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, and the new Emily Alyn Lind as supporting characters. There is also a deus ex machina character that, frankly, I can’t even get into without spoilers (trust me, I could rant). Then, everyone else, especially the original movie’s cast, is expendable. They serve no purpose to this story. They exist merely because they’ve been in the franchise previously. Cut them out and maybe, just maybe, this movie has the screentime to do something exciting. Or even, god forbid, give Finn Wolfhard, who should be key to this story as well, something worth doing. As is, the large cast dragged this movie down. When they weren’t exposition dumping, they were jumping from scene to scene filling us in on minor actions of this massive cast.
But, I also understand Sony’s point of view. For years, they struggled to make any new Ghostbusters content. For one reason (Bill Murray) or another (actually, still Bill Murray), it wasn’t happening. Then, they had the “bomb” that was the 2016 version. So, yeah, Afterlife probably felt like the gasp of oxygen they’d been waiting for. They needed to strike while the iron was hot. I get it. But, for the love of god, take a moment to develop a story worth telling. Every movie needs some kind of heart behind it. If it doesn’t, the audience can feel that. Why should they sit through a story that’s not worth telling? Just because it’s Ghostbusters? Something they liked previously? Nah, give them something to enjoy now. Otherwise, the franchise might as well stay dead the way Bill Murray intended it to be.
TL;DR: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a soulless corporate product that exists merely to cash in on nostalgia and it shows.
Welcome everybody to my annual Top 10 list! I’m Dylan from Dyl’s Movie Stuff and this my absolute favorite article to write up every year. It feels like a big epic conclusion to a year’s worth of opinions and reviews. I know, at the end of the day, I’m a nobody, but it just feels good to give these movies the recognition they deserve. Especially as a firm believer that the “low brow” blockbuster and the important “Oscar bait” movies both deserve the same amount of respect. I view every movie regardless of genre, budget, or prestige equally before seeing them, then it’s their job to impress me enough to make the list. I feel like this year’s list especially shows that dynamic.
But, before we get into it, a few disclaimers as always. This is my personal list. These are the movies that had an impact on me in 2023. Is it definitive? No. Is it subjective? Absolutely. If your favorite movie didn’t make the list, that doesn’t mean you have bad taste. Or even that I do. It means we have different tastes. Art is subjective. That’s what’s wonderful about it. Please don’t be mean if we disagree. Also, ten is a very small number meaning a ton of movies I liked or even loved can’t make the list. It sucks. I wish Creed III could be here, but there are only so many spots. Or there’s a decent shot I straight up did not see that movie. I can’t see everything. No one can. So, ask me about it. If I didn’t, I’ll probably give it a shot.
Anyways, enough rambling. Let’s get to the “awards”
Best Supporting Actress
And the nominees are…
America Ferrera, who gave the most compelling monologue of the year in Barbie. Lily Gladstone played a proud, hurt woman in Killers of the Flower Moon. Alison Oliver’s final scene in Saltburn is easily one of the most compelling I’ve seen this year. Da’Vine Joy Randolph stole absolutely every scene of The Holdovers she was in. And I’d almost be willing to say The Marvels is underrated for Iman Vellani’s delightful performance alone.
And the winner is…
Da’Vine Joy Randolph. First of all, what I said above is absolutely true. Da’Vine absolutely devours every second of screen time she gets in this movie. From the early scenes where she’s putting little spoiled kids in their place to later moments where she’s trying to get Paul Giamitti’s character to take it easier on the boy because it’s winter break, every moment spent with this character is delightful. However, it’s the scene at the Christmas party that really stole the show. In that moment, we saw someone who is easily a background character in most people’s lives really struggling with what it means to go on without a loved one. It’s her first Christmas after her son passed in the war and we feel every ounce of pain she’s going through. It’s truly heart wrenching stuff that other movies might have skipped completely, but also what made The Holdovers one of the year’s best flicks. There’s a lot of heart to that movie and Da’Vine Joy Randolph is right at the center of it all.
Best Supporting Actor
And the nominees are…
Sterling K. Brown, playing a broken, hurt man in American Fiction. Just Ken from Barbie, aka Ryan Gosling. Charles Melton had me in tears when he slowly started understanding that he’s probably a victim in May December. I didn’t laugh harder at a character all year than Mark Ruffalo’s Poor Things performance. And, The Holdovers provided us the first of what I’m sure will be many fantastic performances from Dominic Sessa.
And the winner is…
Sterling K. Brown. Let me just say it’s a damn shame that this man isn’t actually in the conversation to win himself an Oscar. In a very real, human story, he’s absolutely the most relatable, heartbreaking character. He’s just a man who wants to be accepted and loved by his family. Watching him get denied because he happens to be gay left me shattered, especially in the scene where he shares a sweet moment with his elderly mother only to be reminded immediately after that she disapproves of his lifestyle. It’s a thing everyone slightly different has gone through. You share a real, human connection with someone only for them to absolutely destroy your self esteem a second or two later. And Sterling did a phenomenal job of showing the pain of that moment. On top of that, every scene where he talks to his siblings feels extremely real. You can feel the annoyance and the love in equal doses. So, yeah, for being the most relatable character in a movie (and year) full of them, Sterling K. Brown easily gets my vote for Supporting Actor of the year.
Best Actress
And the nominees are…
Greta Lee played half of the most adorable couple of the year in Past Lives. Margot Robbie as Barbie absolutely belongs on any Best of 2023 list (cc The Academy). Cailee Spaeney made us realize that being the wife of a global superstar is it’s own form of torture as Priscilla. No character went through quite as big of an arc this year as Emma Stone’s in Poor Things. And, Sophia Wilde gave one of the most believable portrayals of guilt and grieving in Talk to Me, but was overlooked because all awards (other than mine of course) have a horror bias.
And the winner is…
Margot Robbie. I feel like the primary purpose of a Top Ten list is to take a step back and look at the year as a whole. You can really judge the times by what art resonated most with people. In 2023 (slight spoilers for the list), that was Barbie. And to say anyone but Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, deserves to be at the top of this list feels absurd to me. She absolutely nailed every facet of this performance and it’s not one that’s necessarily easy either. She played both the “everything is right in this perfect world” Barbie and the “oh no, the world is actually kind of a disaster” later Barbie perfectly. No one made us laugh harder, cry harder, and want to be better than Margot Robbie’s Barbie did. Her being snubbed from the Academy Awards will forever rank up there among The Lego Movie snub as one of the great Oscar injustices in my mind. In a (honestly still relatively new) career full of iconic performances, this is Margot Robbie’s greatest one yet. Shame on anyone who doesn’t give it the recognition she so rightly deserves.
Best Actor
And the nominees are…
Michael Fassbender kept me on the edge of my seat playing an ice cold assassin in The Killer. Paul Giamitti gave us a grumpy, old teacher with a heart of gold in The Holdovers.In Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy brought new life to the controversial historical figure. I didn’t quite love Beau Is Afraid, but there’s no denying that Joaquin Phoenix acted his ass off as a man with extreme anxiety. And, American Fiction gave us a great performance by Jeffrey Wright as an author just trying to come to terms with who he is as a person and an artist.
And the winner is…
Cillian Murphy. Little did I know that fateful weekend in July that we’d be sitting here with both lead performers winning awards. (Or maybe that’s why Barbenheimer was such a big deal in the first place.) Anyway, Cillian Murphy 100% deserves this award. I’ll be the first to admit, I wasn’t really hyped for Oppenheimer at all. A movie about the “monster” who created the atomic bomb just did not appeal to me. But Murphy was able to pull the humanity out of this figure so well. We got to see a three dimensional person instead of just a picture in a text book. A man who was overly enthusiastic about science and never thought of the consequences until it was too late. Only to then turn around and become a man riddled in guilt for the atrocities he participated in. That image of him staring off into the distance and contemplating his work, his life, and his legacy has become iconic for a reason. It’ll be forever looped into montages of the greatest acting performances of all time. And I’m excited to forever say I was there opening weekend… after seeing Barbie, of course.
Best Director
And the nominees are…
Animated or not, you make an artistic masterpiece like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and you’re getting nominated for best director. So, congratulations to Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. Meanwhile, Greta Gerwig started a cultural movement with Barbie. Yorgos Lanthimos continued his streak of delightfully weird, wonderfully surreal movies with Poor Things. Oppenheimer wasn’t the slog it would’ve been in hands other than Christopher Nolan’s. And, Danny and Michael Philippou made an incredibly creepy, emotionally intelligent and well shot horror debut with Talk to Me.
And the winner is…
Greta Gerwig. Listen, she would get this award for her opening in Barbieland alone. Just the amount of joy she presented immediately off the bat. And there’s so much detail. The power went out in my theater shortly into my movie, so I got to experience the opening twice and it was a blessing in disguise. I got to notice so many little, brilliant details I wouldn’t have before. Then, later, seeing that pretty much everything was practical effects nearly blew my mind. And, even though, like I said, that’d be good enough for the top award, she only solidified it by bringing us the most heartfelt while also emotionally gut wrenching movie of the year. Seriously, Barbie is a masterclass in how to properly balance comedy and drama. It feels both like a goofy kids flick and one of the most important movies of all time. It’s remarkable. I’ve been aboard the Greta Gerwig train for a while now, but this absolutely cemented her position as one of the elites. Truly an artist at the top of her craft.
And now without further ado: The Top 10 Movies of 2023
10. Past Lives
One of my favorite pieces of independent art is the “Before” trilogy. For those who don’t know, the Before series stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as a couple who fell in love in their first movie, which came out in 1995. Then, eight years later we caught up with the same couple in the next movie, then another eight years after that. It’s a great way to see how the dynamics of their relationship change over time and the highs and lows that come with being close to someone for that long. Past Lives feels like a spiritual successor to the “Before” trilogy where we see a relationship progress at three different stages in this pairs’ lives. Only this focuses on the couple that never quite worked out. The one that missed the mark by just a little bit. The timing was never right. And, it’s a beautiful sort of non-romance story about the idea of soulmates and missed love. I haven’t rooted for a couple this hard since La La Land. Both of these leads are just so charismatic and have perfect chemistry with each other. Unfortunately, like La La Land, this pair just wasn’t meant to be. It’s definitely still worth checking out though, because it really weighs in on what it means to find “the one” and whether there really is only one for each of us. Like, can you still be happy in love when you miss out on your soulmate? It’s an interesting thought experiment and a delightful movie. Go give it a shot.
9. Poor Things
Poor Things is the weird, goth, more mature, horny older sister to Barbie. Instead of watching a doll experience the dark struggles of what it’s like to be a woman in the real world, we get to see a woman with the literal brain of an infant be corrupted by it. We watch her fall in love, study abroad, be taken advantage of a few times, work some… questionable jobs, and ultimately learn that not quite everyone has your best interests at heart. Emma Stone gives one of the best performances of her career as we see her transform possibly more than any character ever featured on the big screen. But, on top of all of that, there’s also a splash of Frankenstein thrown in for good measure, as we’re introduced to some of the strangest visuals ever put on the big screen. But, even that transforms into a heartfelt story about a father just trying to do what’s best for his daughter. It’s a strange film, but also a beautiful, important one. I had very little concept of what this movie was going in and it was an absolute joy ride. If you’re ever looking for something a little… different to watch, I definitely recommend checking out Poor Things.
8. Oppenheimer
By all rights, Oppenheimer should’ve been boring. A man developing an atomic bomb interwoven with clips of him on trial for potentially being a communist? And it’s three hours long?!?! Like I said before, I had very little interest in seeing it. I was going to, obviously, but I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Barbenheimer weekend might as well have been Barbie weekend in my eyes. I stand here today to tell you that I was wrong. Oppenheimer is not boring in the slightest. It’s actually a fairly tense, dramatic story about a race against time, where the whole future of the world feels in jeopardy. Then, in my favorite aspect, it feels like a very real judgment against one of the most controversial historical figures of all time. It doesn’t raise Oppenheimer up as a hero or completely spite him as a villain. It just presents him as a complicated man who completely changed the world. I don’t feel like it ever tells the audience how they’re supposed to feel. Some might walk out of the theater hating the man while others think he’s a hero. It’s quite the feat. I feel like it’s something only Christopher Nolan could do, turn a three hour, complicated biopic into a blockbuster phenomenon. Honestly, he’s one of the best that’s ever worked in cinema and I should’ve never doubted him. (Though I still don’t love Interstelar. Sorry, not sorry.)
7. John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick movies are absolutely masterclasses in action setpieces. Every single one of them is among the 100 or so best action movies of all-time. So, naturally, they’ve hovered around my Top 10 list every year. But, unless I’m mistaken, only the first one has managed to make the cut. That’s because, unfortunately, despite being amazing action movies worth checking out for sure, the two sequels felt like they were spinning their wheels a bit. They were really exciting but it felt like the plot wasn’t quite at the forefront. I feel like the fourth finally fixed that by giving this saga an ending worthy of such an amazing franchise. However, there are rumblings about a fifth entry. If done improperly, I could see this falling a few spots to probably out of the top ten. Because this is a perfect ending. It featured a great final showdown for one of the most iconic action characters of all-time. The franchise could go out on top. They don’t need another entry. Spinoffs? Sure. But the character of John Wick needs to just be done. Let this “happy” ending be the end for good. We’ve got a complete arc. Pack up. Go home. We’re through. So, yeah, this may change. But, as of today, John Wick 4 is an amazing, well shot, perfect finale full of all the badassery you’ve come to expect from the best action franchise ever to exist. Therefore, it’s very easily in the #7 spot. For now. I’m watching you, Lionsgate. Don’t screw this up.
6. Talk to Me
This is my favorite horror film since Hereditary. I was on edge during my entire screening. It’s so smart because they give you a chance to get to know these characters super well, allowing you to get emotionally attached, before exposing them to the horror of the situation and completely ripping your heart out. To me, that’s what makes a great horror flick. Don’t just introduce characters as if they are cannon fire, only fit for slaughter. Cast likable leads, write them really well, make us fall for these characters, then make their lives a living hell. The stakes are so much higher when we are actively rooting for the heroes to make it out okay. And this movie has the highest of stakes with a whole family/friendship dynamic falling apart before our very eyes. Speaking of, there were moments where I, as a grown man, almost had to cover my eyes because the horror was so intense. I haven’t had to do that in forever. I love scary stuff, but part of loving it is becoming kind of numb to a lot of it. So, when a movie really gets under my skin and scares me, it’s something special. Talk to Me did just that. Best horror movie I’ve seen in a while. Definitely recommend it. (Though I will throw in the caveat that the teens in front of me hated it and left early, so take that as you will I guess.)
5. Godzilla Minus One
Hot take: Godzilla Minus One should’ve been nominated for Best Picture. And, if you haven’t seen it, I know how that sounds. “This big monster destroys city movie should be in the same conversation as Oppenheimer.” It’s probably enough to lose me all credibility. However, I urge you to give it a shot. I was in the same boat, but it absolutely blew me away. It’s so much more than what you think it’d be. In reality, it’s a story of a soldier who failed to go through as a kamikaze pilot then failed to stop Godzilla when he had the opportunity to, only to watch the beast grow into the iconic, city destroying monster we know today, while he deals with the guilt of his actions. It’s a brilliant story about a depressed man learning there’s so much to live for, even when life throws us impossible challenges. The impossible challenge in this circumstance just happens to be a giant lizard. Oh, and speaking of, this features some of the coolest kaiju scenes of all time. But, again, that’s not the point. It’s a wonderful bonus though.
4. The Holdovers
While it’s hard to tell with it being so new, I can see a world where The Holdovers becomes a bit of a Christmas classic. It’s just such a great story about three people who don’t like each other at all and are forced to spend the holidays together. Eventually, they get to know eachother better and a deep, personal connection is formed. These are such well written, loveable characters that it’s nearly impossible to watch this without a big smile on your face. Seriously, all three are fantastic and were in serious contention for the awards I gave out earlier. If I ranked each position, I don’t think any of them would’ve finished below second place in their respective fields. I love the connection they form too though. By the end, they’ve formed their own little, super dysfunctional family. If you’re as in love with well-rounded, likable characters as I am, I strongly suggest checking this out next winter. I’m not one to rewatch a lot of movies, but I definitely will be putting this one in the holiday rotation.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
First of all, yes, I have a Spider-Man bias. He’s my favorite character of all-time, so any story featuring the webhead automatically will get a pretty big advantage in my mind. But, I think it’s fair to say that even without that I would consider this movie a masterpiece. First, it’s doing wonders for animation, actually experimenting with different styles and blending art styles to firmly establish each universe. Gwen’s universe looks completely different than Miles’ yet is still as visually interesting. Every frame of this could be a piece of art on someone’s wall. Second, it’s a heartbreaking story about sacrifice, death, and being true to yourself. There is more emotion in this flick than almost any other superhero movie ever made. Third, the story has a ton of twists and turns that had me and my friends on the edge of our seats. You never know what’s going to happen next. And, lastly, of course, I was geeking out over the millions of Spider-Man Easter eggs hidden in this thing. The amount of times I basically reenacted that Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme throughout this thing was insane. The only thing keeping this movie from being absolutely perfect is the cliffhanger ending. It’s a bit of a bummer that we’ve got to wait years before this story is properly concluded. But, even still, what a cliffhanger. I can’t wait.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Speaking of emotional Marvel movies… Never in my life did I think I’d be crying over the Guardians of the Galaxy. As a big Marvel fan since I was a small child, the work that James Gunn has done to make us fall in love with these D-tier characters is insane. Like, Rocket Raccoon is one of my favorite Marvel characters now? The one that hangs out with the tree? Really? Crazy. To me, that’s a sign that these movies are so much more than nostalgia bate. I didn’t give a crap about the Guardians of the Galaxy before this series and now I get emotional every time The Dogs Days Are Over comes across my Spotify because I think of this movie. That’s insane. And this movie provides the perfect finale for this group of outcasts as well. We finally get to see them all find a place where they are welcomed, a place where they are home. And, most importantly, okay with who they are. Rocket, especially, goes through a lot in this. We get to see his origin in one of the most tragic, emotional sequences in movie history. Seriously, I was emotionally a wreck for days after this. I can’t wait to see what James Gunn does for DC, because, if he can make masterpieces like this out of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I have faith he can do almost anything.
1.Barbie
This just seemed like a forgone conclusion. Honestly, for months, it’s been the frontrunner. Maybe since the first trailer came out, to be honest. This was the year of Barbie and almost nothing stood a chance to take it down. No movie made me laugh harder, think on my actions more, and, yes, even cry harder than Barbie did. It’s an absolute masterclass on how blockbuster filmmaking and artistic, meaningful endeavors are not mutually exclusive. Barbie is everything a movie can and should be. Both entertaining as hell and super meaningful, without ever talking down to its audience. Plus, it made going to the movies fun again with large hoards going out to see it with their friends, dressed in their brightest pink outfits. The movies felt like an event again. Honestly, every single person involved with this movie should get an honorary Academy Award just for being part of such a massive moment in pop culture history. I’ve had my finger on the pulse of the movie community for a while and I’ve never seen a movie embraced quite as quickly as Barbie. It’s a certified classic and was the moment it came out. The best part? It deserves every ounce of acclaim it’s gotten, if not more. Saying any other movie this year is better is simply blasphemous.
And… that’s a wrap on 2023. Overall, fantastic year for movies. Making this list was quite the challenge. Like I said before, a lot of great movies didn’t quite make it, but I’m really happy with this list overall. I would easily recommend those ten movies to anyone.
Thanks to everyone who stuck by me in 2023. I know I haven’t been super active, but I plan on changing that shortly. I’m going to take this week off to recover from all the work this list took, but, after that, expect weekly reviews from that point on. Also, I promise I didn’t forget about my Disney100 list. The conclusion to that is still coming. I haven’t been feeling like myself the past couple months, but, luckily, catching up on some of these movies has helped quite a bit. So, full steam ahead into the rest of 2024. After all, the next Barbie is out there somewhere, right?
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O’Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas
Review: I think it’s time to admit something. I might just be a Marvel fanboy after all. Because 13 years and 30+ movies in, I don’t think they’ve made a bad movie yet. Even this one, which is very divisive so far, I don’t understand the hate for at all. Personally, I’d easily rank this in the upper half of their output. While a lot of people left shrugging or down right hating on it, I personally loved the experience. I had the biggest grin on my face the entire time and would’ve been shocked to hear of the mixed reception if I hadn’t already known about it going in.
Now, as far as I’m concerned, the best thing this movie has going for it is Jonathan Majors’ Kang. This is our first real introduction to (evil) Kang and what an introduction it is. I will admit that this is a weird movie to meet him. After all, Ant-Man movies have never had the highest of stakes. And, honestly, throwing him into a place where he doesn’t have control of time and then never properly explaining how nerfed he is may have been the wrong choice. But. There is something about this man’s presence that scares the shit out of me. The way he delivers his lines, talking about past conquests or threatening Scott, makes me believe he is capable of truly terrible things. And, even without his signature power, the threat he presented to these characters was very real. He lays down some of the most vicious beatdowns we’ve seen on this PG-13 side of the Marvel multiverse. You can say all you want about the ending (no spoilers), but Kang still very much feels like a very real threat to me. I think he’s going to easily be on par with Thanos when everything is said and done. And I absolutely cannot wait to see it all unfold. I think we’re in for something special in these next two phases.
Now, the rest of the movie. The best way I can explain the plot of Quantumania is “imagine a couple MCU characters got sucked into Star Wars” because that’s exactly what this feels like. Our characters our brought into a mythical battle between good and evil that’s been raging without them for years. There’s a larger than life villain in his ivory towers with a henchman designed specifically to be the best killing machine around, who mostly keeps his face hidden, and an army of indistinguishable troops. Meanwhile, there is an underground rebellion underdogs led by a character who would feel right at home in Rogue One band of misfits. There are droids. There’s a cantina. Prison breaks. And, ultimately, the ending even feels like a mashup of a couple different classic Star Wars endings. I got Clone Wars vibes early and that feeling never wore off. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I like Star Wars. I’ve dreamt of a crossover (that deep down I know is a bad idea) for years. It’s just odd exactly how similar this was to that iconic saga.
And, of course, there are the characters we’ve all come to know and love at this point, back and better than ever. Honestly, this may be Paul Rudd’s best performance in the MCU so far. He’s given more to do than just be comic relief guy, which is definitely cool. It feels like every other character has had this dramatic, life altering arc and Scott’s just been goofball Scott. Seeing how he reacts when his family is put on the line, especially Cassie, humanized him more than any of his other outings of the past 8 years. Oh, and speaking of Cassie. We’ve got our second recast of the franchise, but I honestly didn’t mind much because Kathryn Newton does a phenomenal job here. It’s cool to see her developing into a more interesting character than just ”Scott’s daughter” as she trains to be a hero of own. Cassie’s got quite the history in the comics. She’s a character I’ve been a fan of for years and I’m excited to see what Newton brings to the role in the future. (Please just green light a Young Avengers movie already, Kevin.) Hank Pam gets more of a chance to shine here too, actually showing off his brilliance and badassery. But, honestly, the biggest improvement was in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet, because she was actually given something to do for once. Her tense, scared reaction to Kang set the table for everything else that followed. I honestly wasn’t a big fan of Janet’s in the last movie, but she won me over here. And, lastly, MODOK. Now, I can’t say a lot because pretty much everything about this character is a spoiler. But, wow, he is so much fun. I had a smile on my face the entire time he was on screen. I really, really enjoyed this take.
As you can probably tell, I loved Quantumania. I really do not understand where the criticism is coming from. I thought it was a fun sci-fi adventure flick with characters we already know facing off a truly incredible, frightening villain. I thought it did a fantastic job of telling a relatively self contained story while also setting up several projects worth of stories. Seriously, I don’t get it at all. But, then again, it seems like I’ve been on the outside looking in for most MCU projects lately. But, I’m not going to fret about it too much. I’m going to just keep loving me some Marvel, especially if they make movies of this quality. And I have a feeling Phases 5 and 6 will be exactly that.
TL;DR: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a fun, semi-derivative sci-fi adventure, but Kang absolutely rules.
Helllo everyone! Welcome to the biggest night in show business. Forget the Oscars. Forget the Golden Globes (already done, amirite). And forget the SAGs. That’s right. It’s time for Dylan’s Top Ten list!!!
Honestly, this has been a pretty good year. Making the Top 10 list was extremely tough. There were a lot of movies I’d give 8s or 9s that simply did not make the cut. I love them. They’ll be in my heart always. But, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and when the competition is this stiff, I’ve got to make some difficult decisions. Some of my favorite movies of all-time came out this year, which makes writing up something like this both incredibly rewarding and incredibly difficult.
So, let’s jump to it… after a few disclaimers of course.
As always, these opinions are solely mine. Additionally, they are very personal. It’s all about how these movies made me feel, how they stuck with me, and how likely I am to revisit them time and again for years to come. If you disagree with some of my takes, that’s awesome. I love that you had a different experience than me. Heck, bring it up to me. But, please, be civil.
The other quick disclaimer. I have not seen everything. I’ve seen a lot (60+) but there are definitely some moderately successful movies I missed. So, again, this list is not conclusive. If there’s something you really, really loved and it’s slightly obscure, there’s a chance I haven’t seen it. Bring it up and I’ll put it on my list of things to checkout.
Ok, onto the awards then the list!
Best Supporting Actress
And the nominees are… Women Talking was packed to the brim with brilliant supporting performances but Jessie Buckley’s tragic turn was just barely my favorite. Hong Chau went toe to toe with Fraser in The Whale and, honestly, came away with an underrated performance that’s nearly as good. Everything Everywhere All at Once asked a lot of Stephanie Hsu as the troubled daughter turned villain but she absolutely gave everything and then some. Zoe Kravitz gave us the most relatable Catwoman to date, allowing her to be both vulnerable and incredibly badass. And, unraveling the mysterious past of Anya Taylor-Joy’s character was half the thrill of the excellent The Menu.
And the winner is…
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once: For as good as Everything Everywhere is, I don’t know if it would’ve hit so hard emotionally if the mother-daughter relationship wasn’t 1000% believable. And, Hsu more than did her part to make sure that it was. One of the most relatable characters in the movie, it’s cathartic to see her go from heartbroken young woman trying to impress her mother to badass destroyer of universes and then all of the other places this total blast of a movie takes her. I mean… how many actors do you know that could give a monologue about bagels that changed my goddamn life? Seriously, she’s amazing. I haven’t seen her in much else, but I will definitely be keeping a (googly) eye open after this killer performance.
Best Supporting Actor
And the nominees are… I dare you to watch On the Count of Three and not fall in love with Christopher Abbott’s both incredibly charming and heartbreaking character. Timothee Chalamet continues to crush the game as the cannibalistic mentor/lover in Bones and All. The Batman may have given us the scariest Batman villain ever in the form of Paul Dano’s Riddler. Brendan Gleeson made what could’ve been an unlikeable douche sort of relatable in The Banshees of Inisherin. And Ke Huy Quan had the comeback of the century playing the loving, goofy, kind-hearted, and (sometimes) badass father/husband in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
And the winner is…
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin: Here’s the thing; I should’ve hated this character. After all, he’s a pretentious douchebag who just suddenly on a whim decides that he’s too good for the man he’s had a decades long friendship with. And, worse yet, he’s willing to go through some pretty extreme measures to keep this poor, dumb man out of his life (no spoilers but holy crap). Yet, he’s some sympathetic, due mostly to Gleeson’s acting abilities. You can feel the pain the man goes through. He doesn’t want to hurt his friend. He doesn’t want to be this over the top. He just would like to be left alone. And, in the quieter moments of the film, you can read all of that on Gleeson’s face. It’s a brilliant performance, a fascinating character, and a fun, unique viewing experience. Check it out if you haven’t.
Best Actress
And the nominees are… I didn’t love TAR, but I will always stan Cate Blanchett and her jaw dropping acting abilities. Mia Goth took a one note villain from X and turned it into the performance of a lifetime in the prequel, Pearl. The tragic, beautiful, disgusting love scene in Bones and All alone would earn Taylor Russell this nomination. Letitia Wright had my entire theater both sobbing and cheering excitedly in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And Michelle Yeoh gave a not one, not two, but several of the year’s best performances in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
And the winner is…
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Holy crap. What a performance. Or… as I said earlier, performances. I don’t know that a role has every required so much out of a performer. She had to be distant and manipulative but then kind and caring. Helpless and scared, then a literal Kung Fu master. Stern and serious, then extremely goofy and silly. I’ve never seen an actor have to act in so many different genres in one film. All while maintaining enough of a link that it would be obvious this was the same character. When you really think about, there really was no choice but to honor Yeoh with this award. She put in the work of everyone else nominated combined.
Best Actor
And the nominees are: Daniel Craig is even better as Benoit Blanc than he was as James Bond and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery just further illustrates that point. Brendan Fraser gave a career best performance as a depressed, dying college professor in The Whale. War is hell and Felix Krammerer showed us that better than almost any other actor in the cinematic history. Robert Pattinson became my favorite Batman in The Batman, which is quite the accomplishment in his first outing. And Alexander Skarsgard absolutely crushed it as the Viking trying to get retribution for his father’s death.
And the winner is…
Brendan Fraser, The Whale: I’m going to start off by saying a controversial opinion of mine. I was not a huge fan of The Whale. I think it has a lot of problems, including mostly being sadness porn and I don’t think the message landed quite as well as many claim it did. That having been said… Fraser definitely deserves all of the praise he’s gotten. His performance is truly phenomenal. I forgot that I was watching someone act on more than one occasion. It almost feels like a documentary. And the levels of his soul that he bared on screen; incredible. It’s amazing that he had this in him. Before this, I was convinced that he was a likable enough guy, but not really all that talented. I will now fully admit that I was wrong. Because, holy crap, what a comeback. One of the best performances of all-time for sure.
Best Director
And the nominees are: If you don’t feel James Cameron earned his spot here, allow me to remind you that nothing you see on screen in Avatar: The Way of Water actually existed. It’s all Cameron and his team making it happen. Robert Eggers took what is really a pretty simple story and made it feel like an all-time epic in The Northman. Rain Johnson continued his quest to turn the murder mystery on it’s head in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert easily made the most ambitious movie of the year. And Matt Reeves did the impossible by reinventing and reinvigorating Gotham yet again in The Batman.
And the winner is…
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once; This might sound like an over exaggeration but I promise I mean it. I think The Dans might’ve changed cinema forever with this movie. Legitimately, I don’t think anyone has ever been quite as ambitious with a movie. Or, at least, in the last 15 years or so. What they did on Everything Everywhere is truly artistic expression at its best. The fact that they were able to balance such a silly tone with tragic, beautiful undertones is absolutely amazing. I mean… one of the most emotional, poignant moments in the movie features two rocks talking to each other in subtitles. And it freaking works. Extremely well. I already knew these guys were geniuses from Swiss Army Man, but it’s nice to see that they’re really taking off now. I hope this is just the beginning of a long, strange, beautiful resume.
Dylan’s Top 10 Movies of 2022
10. Women Talking
And this is why I make sure to watch all of the Oscar nominees before writing my Top 10 list. Because you never quite know which “borderline pretentious” independent flick is going to strike a cord with you. In this case, Women Talking did just that. On the surface, it is a movie about nothing but… well, women talking. However, the conversation is so fluid and tense and, frankly, captivating that the time flew by. Seriously, I saw movies shorter than this in 2022 but none felt like such a quick watch. But that’s what happens when you’re hanging on to every word. It doesn’t hurt that this cast is packed to the brim with truly spectacular actresses either. I was constantly jumping back and forth between who I think gave the best performance. Now maybe I’m just a special breed. I love watching a good debate. So, maybe I’m more inclined to be into this sort of thing than the average moviegoer. But, if you’re at all like me, I think you’ll be into Women Talking too.
9. Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. I am not a huge fan of the original Top Gun. I think it’s a fun little movie, but a tad overrated. It’s just not as emotional or thrilling as many seem to think it is. This, however, has everything the original does but pumped up to 11. Holy crap was I invested in this movie. First of all, the flying sequences were incredibly tense. It’s been a long time since aerial battle sequences had me on the edge of my seat like that. And the way that they were shot where you were in the cabin with the actors added a whole different level of realism that took it to another level. But, it was all thrills as we were able to get intensely emotional with these characters as well. Maverick wasn’t just the poster boy for the Air Force’s recruitment wing anymore. He felt like an actual human being with insecurities and doubts with Tom Cruise giving his best performance in years. That reunion scene with Iceman? Cried like a freaking baby. Now, I don’t know how it holds up on home media. I haven’t rewatched it, but Top Gun: Maverick was one of the best theater going experiences I had of the year.
8. Avatar: The Way of Water
Speaking of not knowing how things will hold up. My thoughts on Avatar are… complicated. I will very often join in on those that are saying these movies have almost no cultural impact and that they lose 25% of their value the moment they leave the big screen. I get it. I agree with it. Heck, the day after The Way of Water came out I was referring to it as “simply okay.” But… here we are. Time to wrap up the year and it’s still sticking with me. I just couldn’t leave it off of the list after thinking back on all the things it made me feel during the cinematic experience. And what is cinema if not different experiences. Seeing the Na’vi swim alongside massive sea creatures who understand their emotions through wavelengths (or whatever) is going to stick with me for forever. Avatar may be flawed, but it’s such a unique, thrilling experience that it simply cannot be left out of the discussion for best of the year.
7. On the Count of Three
Odds are pretty good that you haven’t seen On the Count of Three. Heck, you’ve probably never even heard of it. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’ really is THAT good. In fact, I may have it ranked a little low in fear that I’ll be judged as trying to be different for having it here. I’m not. This is one of the greatest experiences I had watching a movie this year. Now, I’m not going to go into too much detail because I do want people to check this out. Let me just set the table though. Two depressed friends decide they’d like to off themselves, but the one decides that he’d like a day to sort of tidy things up. What follows is a hilarious and often tragic story of how people end up in that circumstance and how beautiful the little things can be. Now, is this for everyone? No. It obviously deals with a lot of heavy issues and can be quite dark, but, if you’re willing to take the dive, I think you’ll see why it’s more than worthy of this spot.
6. The Northman
Story wise, The Northman is not all that unique. You’ve seen variations of this story a million times. It’s Hamlet. It’s The Odyssey. It’s The Lion King. But the way Robert Eggers tells it makes this feel larger than life. It reminds you of why this type of story is passed down from generation to generation, as every moment takes on a level of epicness rarely seen in adaptations. It’s a tale as old as time, but it feels fresh and rejuvenated as you’re experiencing it. I mean… two people fight to the death in a volcano for crying out loud… naked. If that’s not award worthy I don’t know what it. Oh, and it’s another one packed with big name actors giving their 110%. I’ve already brought up Skarsgard, but Anya Taylor Joy, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, and Ethan Hawke are also bringing their all here. It’s truly a masterpiece of epic, manly proportions.
5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
For years now, the biggest question on my mind when it came to the MCU’s future was “What are they going to do with the Black Panther? How do you carry on after something so tragic?” We finally got our answer this year and the results were absolutely stunning. Frankly, the first ten minutes of this movie may be the most mature in superhero movie history. It’s such a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Bozeman and his onscreen legacy. But, what really amazed me was how they were able to translate that grief into a superhero story with a big bad without it feeling cheap. It never once felt like they were “Darn. Well, anyways…” The loss of T’Challa and Shuri’s grief towards that permeates every inch of this movie. Yet, it never feels overly gratuitous either. It’s maybe the biggest challenge Marvel Studios has come across yet and I’m truly proud of how well they balanced everything.
4. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
I did not know I need a second one, but, if Knives Out movies keep being this good, I may have a new favorite franchise on my hands. I’m telling you Rian Johnson has a grip on my interest with this franchise. First of all, I’m always down for a good murder mystery. Plain and simple. Second, he packs the cast with A-list celebrities playing interesting, funny, complicated characters. And, third, he takes what you think you already know going in and completely turns everything on its head. Honestly, he’s a genius. And these movies are a perfect example of that. Of course, that’s only going to make the discourse around tThe Last Jedi all the more frustrating for me in the future but I digress. See the Knives Out movies! They’re so good!
3. All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front might be a contender for best war movie of all-time. If Top Gun: Maverick can be seen as pro-military propaganda, All Quiet is the exact opposite. This movie shows the atrocity of war in ways very view movies do. You just watch as this fun, light hearted young man from the beginning of the movie loses all sense of humanity after experiencing hardship after hardship during WWI. It also does a fair job at showing that sometimes war isn’t even about territory’s or patriotism. A lot of the time its about one or two big shot’s egos getting stepped on and their ability to sacrifice the youths of their country just to make themselves feel a little better. Truly tragic. But definitely important, beautiful cinema.
2. The Batman
Ready for another controversial Dylan take? I don’t that any live-action adaptations have truly understood Batman until Matt Reeves’ The Batman came along. Because this is absolutely going to be my go-to version of the character from now on. He’s dark, brooding, has anger problems, and definitely needs some therapy like all of the others BUT he’s also a symbol of hope, truly caring about those around him, and wanted to make the world a better place. Maybe it’s just me but the other Batmen always felt a little… self centered. Like, they were doing the right thing but not because they loved the city or anything but because they were hurt. That’s not how I see Batman. I think he’s a legit good person who wants to see the best possible version of the world around him. He just knows that the best way to do that is through fear and intimidation. And I got all of that in The Batman. Heck, I got it all from the one scene where he leads victims out of the flooding sports complex. I’m excited for James Gunn to reboot DC and make it consistent across the board, but he better leave this universe alone. Because if this is the only Battinson movie I get, I will riot. Seriously. It’s that freaking good.
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oh my god. What a freaking movie. As I’ve said, this was an incredible year with a ton of really good, unique cinematic experiences. It was tough to make the top ten. But, nothing even came close to Everything Everywhere All at Once. When it was released, every other movie fell to a distant second place at best. There’s no competition. It’s in a league of its own. And, I’ve said a lot about it. But.. I could go on all day about this incredible piece of art. First of all, it’s remarkably original. In a sea of remakes, retreads, or just plain retelling of classic stories, it’s refreshing to see such a unique, interesting, fresh voice on the scene. Second, it’s so ambitious. I’m not over exaggerating when I saw that it’s impossible to tell you what genre Everything Everywhere fits. It’s a comedy. It’s a drama. It’s an action movie. It’s sci-if. It’s fantasy. It’s everything. If I were to break this list down by Top Five of each genre, this movie would top 90% of them. And, it tells an absolutely beautiful story about generational trauma, letting go of your failures, and learning to appreciate the little moments. Loving exactly what you’ve got instead of longing for more. The visuals are insanely creative too with The Dans never going for the easiest shot. Constantly finding new, visually interesting ways to tell this story. And the story goes so many different ways, there’s no way you’ll be able to guess exactly what’s going to happen next. I’ve seen it three times so far and every time my mind is blown. It hasn’t lost any of its charm yet and I don’t think it ever will. Not only is Everything Everywhere All at Once one my easy pick for movie of the year. It might me one of my favorites of all-time. Such a masterpiece. I recommend everyone at least giving it a shot. At the very least, you’ll have an experience you’ll never forget. Or, heck, you might just end up loving it as much as I did.
And with that 2022 is wrapped up. Like I said, pretty good year for movies. So good in fact that movies that I loved like The Banshees of Inisherin, Bones and All, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish just barely missed the cut. Any other year, there’s a good shot they’d be on there. But, yeah, strong competition. What do you think? What were your favorite movies of the year? Are you shocked by any of my picks? Are you thinking about checking one out you haven’t seen? If so, please reach out. I love to talk movies and these ones in particular I could talk about for hours.
Anyway, I’ve got to go watch another movie. Thanks for sticking around to the end. I would need to get my thoughts out either way, but it definitely helps to know that people care about my opinions for some reason! I’ll see you all in the next review. Peace!
Starring: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henley, and Nia Long
Review: A few years ago, a new genre of found footage was invented. The “watch a computer monitor” genre for lack of a better phrase. Essentially, you are experiencing a screen recording of someone’s laptop, phone, whatever as they’re going through a movie worthy experience. Now, I’m not going to lie. This can be an effective storytelling device. Horror, especially, seems to work really well with both Host and Unfriended impressing me with their victims dying over Zoom calls. However, I was not super impressed by Searching a few years ago. I thought it was a good story, but didn’t really thrive in the “screen recording” genre with it having to cheat or bend their own rules on several occasions. Well, apparently, I was in the minority because now we have Missing, the spiritual sequel that has almost exactly the same feel (and problems) of that nearly forgotten movie.
So, here’s the thing about this genre of movie. We’re past the point where you get points just for telling an effective story from a monitor alone. It’s been done. It’s been done quite well. Now, you need to actually prove that this is the best way to tell this particular story. I’m not sure that Missing ever really does that. The intrigue behind the mystery at the center of this story is quite good. I was invested. Every twist and turn had me playing detective like a good true crime drama does. (A fact they’re very aware of and play around with throughout the flick.) But, I couldn’t help but think “why is this story being told this way?” And honestly the only answer I could come up with is “It’s a sequel to Searching.” That’s it. Not that it gave us any more insight to the characters or added more suspense or even made the story seem more believable. It was simply because they chose to focus on the genre first and let everything else fall to a distant second. And, personally, I think this would’ve been a way more effective story had they told it in the traditional way.
And you know what makes it even worse? The movie has to jump through what feels like unrealistic hoops to continue the screen recording premise. For example, in able to get the actress’s reactions to what’s going on around her, her webcam is constantly on. Not only when she’s on FaceTime or WhatsApp. No constantly. Even when she’s just doing something like creating a Spotify playlist. Now, I’ll admit that I might have a semi-dated relationship with technology at this point. But… no one does that, right? You have it open if/when it needs to be and then close it immediately after. There’s no reason to have your face up on your screen 24/7. And, without going into spoilers, the ridiculousness of them having footage of the situation increases tenfold in the final act. Are there ways around this? Yeah. Other genre movies have taken care of this issue nicely by either having never ending calls or having the characters livestream. Both realistic alternatives to her just having her camera open for no reason. On top of that, there are some things that she does here that technology just doesn’t do. For example, she accesses the backlog of a tourist trap live stream. I’m pretty sure most (if not all) websites like that just have live feed and that’s pretty much it. Again, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t think I am though.
Overall, I do think I enjoyed Missing more than I disliked it. Again, the plot was really, really good with a ton of twists and turns I never would’ve seen coming. However, I just kept being pulled out of it by the format and the unnatural feel of a lot of the screen activity. As I said, I probably would’ve preferred if this was just a straight, normal crime thriller instead of a found footage one. It would’ve allowed for more range and they wouldn’t have had to cheat as often to tell their story. But… then it wouldn’t really be a sequel to Searching and, really, that’s the whole reason Missing exists in the first place so…
TL;DR: Missing features a really good, compelling true crime drama in a format that hinders it’s storytelling more than it helps.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn
Review: Let’s take bets. In six months, will I remember that I saw this movie? Because I honestly don’t think I will. There is absolutely nothing about this that makes it stick out in any way. Heck, even the title is kind of… plain. Get it? Like Plane? But seriously, this is about as run-of-the-mill as you can get.
First things first, there is nothing in Plane that you haven’t seen a million times before. The plot goes pretty much exactly where you think it will. The plane loads up. A convict who everyone judges is among the passengers. The plane goes into a storm. They crash land. The passengers are taken hostage. The captain and the convict save everyone. The end. It’s Die Hard. It’s Con Air. It’s London Has Fallen. It’s every action movie you’ve ever seen combined into one uninspired flick. Now, am I saying it’s unwatchable? No. Honestly, the time kind of went relatively fast. I didn’t enjoy myself but I didn’t actively hate watching it either. The action is decent. The plot, while familiar, is entertaining enough. And the runtime is just about where it should be. It’s perfectly serviceable and, if that’s all you’re looking for, you’ll have a decent experience with Plane. This is a Sunday afternoon cable network movie. In one ear and out the other. A perfectly decent way to spend two hours.
But, that also comes with a tad bit of disappointment. Because this movie really lacks any sort of depth. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen the movie. Everything and everyone is one-dimensional here. I was really invested in the opening act. As they were loading the plane, I was making sure to catch little character moments and interactions. Hoping we’d get to know these characters really well by the end. Spoiler: we don’t. They’re all just helpless, personality-less hostages. There aren’t many of them. It would’ve been easy for a writer to spend a couple minutes developing each one and their feelings towards being caught in such a harrowing moment. But no. You get to know them as well as you would any random passenger on your next flight. Just their face, a mention of their name, and maybe some surface-level traits. That’s it. But, what’s even worse is that it’s the same for the leads. They are also stiff, undeveloped characters. Even Mike Cotler’s convict character doesn’t get a whole lot of backstory. We know that he was military and then killed someone 15 years ago. Why? Who? How does he feel about it? Is he guilty? None of that comes up. I mean… how do you have such a good setup for character development and then squander it? It’s crazy.
But, like I said, despite its flaws Plane is surprisingly watchable. I was surprised at how decent of an experience I had. I never once got bored or annoyed. It was just… a movie. And I just… watched it. And it kinda sorta kept me entertained. It’s no masterpiece. Heck, I wouldn’t even say it was good. But I don’t really feel like shitting on it either. It just is what it is. And this review is probably all the impression it’s going to leave on me. So… is it a recommendation? No. But its not really an anti-recommendation either. Just a slight shrug.
TL;DR: Plane is an uninspired, one-dimensional action film that is almost guaranteed not to leave a lasting impression, but it is surprisingly decent.
Starring: Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, and Violet McGraw
Review: January is not supposed to be a good month for movies. Anyone who keeps track of movie release dates and box office numbers knows that the first month of the year is where studios dump their weakest films. Movies that otherwise would have almost no shot of becoming finically or critically successful. And that’s what makes M3GAN such a welcome surprise. It’s not only watchable. It’s borderline an enjoyable experience. I went in with the lowest of low expectations and walked out with a bit of a smile on my face. Is it going to make anyone’s top 10 list by December/January of next year? No. But it’s still a quite enjoyable experience.
In my mind, that all comes down to the character of M3GAN. I don’t want to hype her up too much, but I could definitely see her becoming the next big horror icon. I’m talking Halloween costumes, Hot Topic merch, a role in Dead by Daylight, the whole nine yards. She is absolutely the type of character I can see people flocking to. First of all, she’s definitely creepy. The scenes of her glaring at her potential victims from across the room never failed to send a bit of a shiver down my spine. But, also, she’s sort of adorable. It’s hard not to root for her when she busts out into a solo rendition of Bulletproof or does the equivalent of a TikTok dance will chasing down her prey. Not to mention, she’s got some valid points. It’s one of those circumstances where you’ll find yourself agreeing with the villain on more occasions than you’re really comfortable with. Yes, M3GAN herself is an absolute hit. If Universal/Blumhouse were smart, which I know they are, we’ll be seeing a lot more of this character in the near future and I can’t wait.
But, as we all know, a good horror villain doesn’t necessarily mean the movie itself is going to be decent. If that were the case, every Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street would be massive hits. No, you’ve got to also have a compelling story with sympathetic heroes. And M3GAN definitely has that too. Allison Williams does such a wonderful job playing the career obsessed aunt forced into the awkward position of raising her recently orphaned niece. It’s a story we’ve seen before, but it’s played out so well here that I didn’t really mind. The story then leads into lessons about grief and how we use technology to drown out our emotions. You legitimately get so wrapped up into their relationship that the biggest gasp I let out was from one of their arguments and not from the killer doll running around. It’s beautiful. It’s heartbreaking. And, it’s the icing on the cake that makes this movie one worth recommending.
Now, of course, I can’t let this review end without bringing up a few of my surprisingly minor criticisms. One, I know it’s become a bit of a joke within the community. Heck, M3GAN and he are basically in a Twitter war right now. But… this movie owes a lot to Child’s Play. Or more specifically the reboot that no one saw or really talks about. That movie also dealt not only with a killer doll, but our (and our children’s) relationship with artificial intelligent. In a way, M3GAN kinda proved my theory that the worst part of that movie was the fact that it was called Child Play. If it had been it’s own independent entity, I think it would’ve done a lot better. At the end of the day, it’s really not that important though. MEGAN is a better movie. A better killer (than that version of Chucky at least). And definitely more fun. But, I still thought it was worth noting.
My only other criticism is that the movie felt a bit rushed. It only has an hour and 40 minute runtime and I could’ve easily gone for another 20 minutes of M3GAN mayhem. It feels like we’re just getting warmed up and then it’s over. And, honestly, the kills are sorta on the weak side. Maybe they’re saving the “goods” for the sequels, but I would’ve loved to see a bit more here.
Overall, not a bad movie experience though. I’d definitely recommend checking it out if the idea of a silly, Gen-Z TikTok dancing doll sounds appealing to you. Personally, I thought it was a lot of fun. I just wish there was a little more meat on the bones. If there was, I’d be shouting about this from the rooftops. For now, we’ve got to settle for it just being good though. And, for the first movie of the year, good is a pretty good place to start.
TLDR: M3GAN may not be all that groundbreaking, but it is a good time at the theater and a solid introduction to a possible new slasher icon.
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