Some of the characters are massively underwritten, and the lead performance has a few holes. The narrative is interesting enough, although not particularly innovative, and Dule Hill as a brutal drug kingpin was a lot of fun to watch.
7/10
The Circle
The performances were mostly strong, but the narrative is far too stilted and full of inane technophobia.
4/10
4/10
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Even if the film felt a bit idyllic, I loved the earnestness of the lead. I didn't expect the film to be as genuinely funny as I found it, either.
9.5/10
9.5/10
Thank You For Smoking [Revisit]
The great dialogue endears the audience to what would normally be an unsympathetic character in a big way. This film is just chock full of characters that are fun to be around.
8.25/10
8.25/10
Shoot 'Em Up [Revisit]
I've always described this film as a real-life, more violent Bugs Bunny cartoon, right down to the carrot-eating. The set-pieces in this film are so silly and over-the-top, but so, so much fun.
8/10
8/10
Lucky Number Slevin
This one of the first films that kept me guessing throughout the runtime. The narrative is a delight to watch unravel, and the film oozes style.
8.25/10
8.25/10
Super Troopers [Revisit]
In high school, I found this film to be endlessly quotable and absurdly entertaining, and that hasn't changed.
8/10
8/10
Arrival [Revisit]
I never got around to producing my Best of 2016 list. Had I done so, I would've noted that as good as La La Land and Moonlight were (and they were extraordinary, make no mistake), nobody would be talking about them in 10 years.
Arrival, on the other hand, is a stunning masterpiece that will go down as one of the best science fiction films of all time.
10/10
Arrival, on the other hand, is a stunning masterpiece that will go down as one of the best science fiction films of all time.
10/10
The Thing (1982)
It's easy to write this off as a simple fishbowl creature-feature, but that would be a mistake. John Carpenter packs this film with excellent visual effects and the narrative is full of dense game theory that really helps the viewer place themselves in the character's shoes.
9.5/10
9.5/10
Paths of Glory
Continuing the trip down Kubrick's filmography, this film sees him revisiting the war genre, this time with a fantastic Kirk Douglass performance and some scathing social and political commentary.
9/10
9/10
The Killing
Kubrick's attempt at a heist film worked wonderfully for me. Both halves of the traditional heist film (setting up the board, and playing out the game) are equally fun here, and Kubrick offers up some great characters and an engaging narrative.
8.5/10
8.5/10
Free Fire
A unique film that felt tonally schizophrenic to me. The highs are fairly high, though, and the film uses its conceit in fun an interesting ways throughout. The cast of characters is colorful and a great time as well.
7.75/10
7.75/10
Killer's Kiss
A wonderful little neo-noir film that, despite some antiquated, hokey "action" sequences, mostly holds up as a solid film. I'm really loving the fantastic dialogue in these older Kubrick films.
8/10
8/10
Millions [Revisit]
This is my favorite Danny Boyle film, and he is among my favorite directors. The two young leads are wonderful, but Damien, who is extremely adorable, will absolutely steal your heart. The film is vibrantly colorful and fantastical, and the plot is both fun and incredibly touching. I think, of all the films I've talked about here, this is the one I most hope you take the time to discover if you haven't already.
10/10
10/10
The Mist [Revisit]
To this day, one of the scariest films I've ever seen. The third act will stay with you for quite some time. The visual effects of the monsters looks fairly dated, but the rest of the film holds up nicely.
9/10
9/10
The Ticket
Dan Stevens play a blind man who suddenly wakes up with sight, and proceeds to act like a gigantic asshole. I found the actions of the main character pretty unbelievable, which hurt my immersion quite a bit. The performance was solid, but not enough to overcome the plot issue.
5/10
5/10
Detour
This neo-noir film is beautifully shot, including some really interesting split-screen sequences. The plot falters somewhat, and I found it difficult to care much about many of the characters, but it was enjoyable enough despite the flaws.
6.5/10
6.5/10
The Fate of the Furious
This film starts with the worst aspect of this franchise, and had me a bit worried. But my fears were quickly allayed when the film jumps into the nonsense, over-the-top, absurdly fun action that the franchise has become known for. The villain is weak, and the plot is somewhat lacking, but nobody is really seeing these films for things like that.
8/10
8/10
Trainspotting [Revisit]
This is a story you've likely heard before, but Danny Boyle tells the tale with flourishes that separate him from the crowd. Inventive and unique sequences will stick in your mind for a long time.
8.5/10
8.5/10
Triangle
This movie blew me away. Go in blind, and enjoy the incredibly fun to discover plot.
9.5/10
9.5/10
The Discovery
A superb concept that is presented with a tremendous opening sequence. Unfortunately, the rest of the film didn't quite live up to that high bar. The film attempted some very large ideas and the third act felt rushed and unsatisfying.
6.75/10
6.75/10
Glengarry GlenRoss
The cinematography was striking and a joy to take in, but the real prize here is the exquisite dialogue and great performances from a star-studded cast.
9/10
9/10
Fear and Desire
Kicking off a run through Kubrick's filmography, this film clearly shows a young director getting his feet wet. The film certainly shows its age, especially in the "action" sequences, but certain character arcs still worked very well for me, and foreshadowed his later work quite nicely.
6.75/10
6.75/10
Aftermath
The film sets up an interesting paradigm, but fails to come together in the end. Too many characters act far too irrationally, and the film was far too predictable which numbed any impact it may have had in the third act.
5.25/10
5.25/10
Win It All
Jake Johnson gives a great performance, but I feel like I've seen the gambling addict redemption story a hundred times at this point. This film doesn't add much to that genre.
7/10
7/10
The Void
This was a fun throwback to the gore-heavy horror films of the 80s. The narrative lacked a bit in spots, but had some big ideas and tremendous visual effects.
8.5/10
8.5/10
Moon [Revisit]
A wonderful Sci-Fi fish-bowl film with a fantastic lead performance from Rockwell.
9/10
9/10
Psycho [Revisit]
A masterclass in suspense with a lead performance that stands the test of time.
10/10
10/10
Why Him?
The plot is fairly rote here, but there were more than a few hilarious scenes. Franco is at home here, and seeing Cranston react was pretty great.
6.75/10
6.75/10
Ex Machina [Revisit]
This film is highlighted by a set of incredible performances and a tone that evoked Kubrick's finest for me.
10/10
10/10
Seven Psychopaths [Revisit]
Martin McDonagh's follow-up to IN BRUGES brings along the same great dialogue and twisted sense of humor, but adds in an incredible self-referential plot that gets better with each subsequent viewing.
9.75/10
9.75/10
In Bruges [Revisit]
The dialogue in this film is top-notch, and the unraveling of the plot, despite knowing what was to come, was engaging and great fun.
9.5/10
9.5/10
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World [Revisit]
This film is just oozing with small, but perfect, little touches in every scene. It is simple, pure joy with every viewing.
10/10
10/10
Moana [Revisit]
A wonderful hero's journey tale with a strong female lead, some great comic relief and fantastic music.
9/10
9/10
Raw
Much of this film didn't do anything for me. At times, it felt as if it was showing something really gross, just to do so. A few scenes were great, but overall this one didn't land.
5/10
5/10
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Despite some jaw-dropping visuals, this iteration was more of a brainless action flick. The shell to the previous film's ghost, if you will.
6/10
6/10
Ghost in the Shell [Revisit]
A cerebral sci-fi story that features some beautiful animation and poses some very interesting questions to the audience.
8.5/10
8.5/10
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