Letterboxd — Your life in film

Relying on a deliciously absurd and satirical sense of humor and—though not always subtly—revealing the hypocrisy, stupidity, and utter filth of human relations, Ruben Östlund takes his audience on an unusual, uproarious, and all around wild ride that makes great use of a fittingly triangular narrative structure in which each act becomes something new and intriguing, especially in a 15-minute sequence of hysterically over-the-top sea sickness.

Glass Onion may not be as funny, tight, fresh, and narratively satisfying as its predecessor, but Rian Johnson’s deftness is still fully intact, and we have a new set of faces and a dramatically different setting to bask in this time with another mystery that’s even more convoluted than before but holds our attention all the way through and unfolds in fun and unexpected ways.

Woody Allen offers an another absorbing drama with his expectedly captivating dialogue and human characters while exploring this time how shitty men exist at every corner, and Cate Blanchett delivers one of the finest performances of her career.

Another entry into the eat the rich subgenre is this fun satiric thriller in which the rich, this time, eat, and it offers not just a fine dining experience full of twists, shocks, dark humor, and good food, but also good food for thought—with a biting social commentary that shows the ruthlessness of the restaurant industry and stabs at each of its reprehensible guests in unique ways.

A seminal and iconic work of horror that Craven clearly borrowed from when he went on to make Scream over a decade later, and although that film may be more enjoyable and inspiring of a cult following, A Nightmare on Elm Street still stands the test of time with its grisly violence, creepy villain, and admirable audacity.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

I’m always pleased to see a director that puts formidable care into his craft without forsaking substance, and Guillermo del Toro pulls us into a dark, gritty world with the help of a wonderful cast, arresting visuals, and an intriguing story that explores the unpleasant sides of humanity but this time without resorting to fantasy.

Hilarious and frightful in equal measure while more subtly showing us how the guilt of our past decisions can come back to haunt us, Drag Me to Hell shows Sam Raimi harnessing his inner camp to perfection while resurrecting a totally bonkers story from the dead of his early career.

Showing us another depressing window into America’s underbelly but turning it into something surprisingly compelling, Sean Baker is more ambitious than ever, expanding on his craft in various ways, while Simon Rex makes a welcome return with a magnetic performance as a slimy narcissist who gets into one pickle after the next and takes advantage of others until he has to face the music.

David Lynch took a whopping five years to produce his first feature film, and the result is a cult classic masterpiece that represents the troubles and anxieties of parenthood on one hand while showing an industrialized world devoid of humanity, hope, and empathy on the other, and its depressing setting and mood, blank color palette, lifeless soundscapes, and grotesque makeup and special effects help to make us feel as trapped and perturbed as its protagonist before leading us to an inevitably shocking but cathartic ending.

While most would argue that Fast Five is the best of the franchise, this film doubles down on everything that made that film successful while upping the ante with a consistently engrossing plot that raises the stakes and benefits from a menacing villain, a surprisingly emotional touch, and an abundance of exciting and stupefying action that doesn’t always need to make sense so long as it’s about family.

An extraordinary and thought-provoking science fiction film that effectively condenses and deviates from its source material while leaving us with some beautiful, eerie, and frightening scenes and with plenty to chew on after it’s over.