January-August 2023 Movie Overview

While Hollywood goes on strike for better pay, working conditions and for everyone to not eventually be replaced by a robot, I think it's best I write my latest comeback article among many to go through all of the newly released films I have seen this year from Barbiehimer to lower budget stuff that gets brushed under the rug. While I can't give a clear overview if this year for film has been particularly good or bad in terms of quality, I can say that I have yet to see one that is one the same level as my bottom 3 of last year which already puts it slightly above 2022, But that can change as we reach the end of the year!

M3GAN

When I first saw the trailer to M3Gan I like many others where stoked at the concept as well as the darkly comedic edge conveyed in its tone and became excited to see how unhinged this killer AI doll movie would be. So it's unfortunate to say that while M3GAN has its moments and is worthy as a Saturday rental, It feels like another case of a studio horror movie that is too afraid to go the distance in its brutality and violence due to wanting to keep to a rating that will allow teenagers to double ticket sales. As a result, your left with a film that has a lot of potential to be more cruel and nasty with its premise but everything feels very watered down just to appeal to a more conventional movie-going audience. With that said the titular character is sure as hell one entertaining villain and the scenes with her and its Guardian (Violet McGraw) provide some juicy tension in the way the doll manipulates this young grieving girl into trusting its every word all while murdering the neighbour's dogs and the local school bully. Nice to See Allison Williams in a leading role in a horror film as well! More of her, please!

Knock At the Cabin

Knock at the Cabin was a pleasant surprise and is M Night's most impressive movie since Unbreakable. While not without its flaws, the cast, the setting, the location and the constant sense of dread were more than enough to make up for a few minor hiccups as you watch this moral dilemma unfold where 4 random strangers have to desperately convince a gay couple of the impending apocalypse that is coming and they do not come from a place of bigotry or wanting to convert them, a fact that one of them at least isn't willing to accept for valid reasons. It's already a tense enough premise if any random family were to be picked for this burden but the fact that the people chosen (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldrige) are those very people chosen adds another layer of convincing that makes the stakes more and more grater. All the performances are spot on and Dave Bautista proves himself to be the best wrestler-turned-actor in my eyes. Highly recommend!

Magic Mike's Last Dance

The Magic Mike Trilogy really peaked at Magic Mike XXL (2015) It was a warm, wholesome road trip movie that had no grand stakes, no contrived plot points just a bunch of guys just doing what they love while we the audience learn how they hone their craft. The high bar set by XXL meant that people were predictably disappointed in this final instalment, and while it is nowhere near as great as XXL and the film itself is more conventional in terms of narrative compared to the first two, I don't think they could possibly make something as masterful as XXL ever again, and just because the story here is predictable, it doesn't make any less compelling as we follow a wealthy woman (Salma Hayek) finally embracing her independence with the help of a well-meaning hunk and his dance crew. The chemistry between her and Tatum was impeccable, all the cast are very talented, the choreography bangs as you would expect and the final dance gave me goosebumps. Again not as good as XXL but a smidge better than the first in my opinion.

The Son

Florian Zeller's follow-up to The Father (2020) (probably the best movie of 2020-2021) Is a massive step back from what was achieved. Gone is the subtlety, the heartbreak and the tears, in its place is an incredibly frustrating experience as we follow an estranged family make all the wrong choices for their clinically depressed son who also has a strong case of cry face throughout the runtime. Instead of putting the audience in the character's perspective the same way Zeller did so effortlessly in The Father, we follow a bunch of uninteresting characters ponder why their son is so sad all while the titular character constantly reminds the audience that he's in pain but never giving us any indication as to why. It's vaguely implied that it could have stemed ever since the divorce with his parents but that's about all you get. It all feels told from an outsider's point of view as opposed to being told from a lived experience. The ending is bullshit in the highest order as the film makes one final attempt to be as emotionally manipulative as possible while Hans Zimmer's overbearing score insists that what's happening on screen is anything other than a piss-take, High Jackman does his best with the material but doesn't matter how much icing you put on if the cake is filled with dog crap.

What's Love Got to Do With It

Not to be confused with the Tina Turner song, What's Love Got to Do With It is a standard British rom-com affair with a somewhat interesting angle, as a documentary filmmaker (Lilly James) decides to make her next film documenting her best friend (Shazad Laif) and his arranged marriage all while sensing that he may not be listening to his heart and is just following what his family expect of him. The biggest problem with this movie is that while the themes are worthy of exploring, the film isn't capable enough to deal with them in a realistic way due to having to play it safe to rom-com conventions. The most telling part about this is in the ending as the characters namely the groom's family change their attitudes by the flick of a switch when we know for a fact these ingrained beliefs wouldn't just go away overnight or probably not ever. A better film would see these characters grow and learn day by day that the worldview they've been taught their whole life is wrong but instead, everything gets easily resolved by the end which feels contrived and phoney, like a lot of films of it's ilk

Rye Lane

Speaking of Rom-Coms that are contrived and phoney, I also saw Rye Lane and while I did say it was both contrived and phoney, that's not to say that it was bad, on the country I really quite enjoyed it, even though it is very base level in terms of script and the conventions that plague it, It's appeal come from it's cast, aesthetic and humour, both three make the film feel different and unique as opposed to feeling similar and ordinary if this script was given to any other director. The editing much like its comedy is both witty and snappy, there's always something engaging happening in every shot and the film brisks by at a 90-minute run time. David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah have impeccable chemistry and I hope to see them two move on to bigger and better things in the future.

John Wick Chapter 4

Like Magic Mike XXL John Wick is a franchise that only peaked at one movie (that one is number two IMO) but Chapter 4 is a ballistic, relentless if overstuffed and overlong but nonetheless satisfying conclusion to the series, despite the fact that it probably should have been a trilogy. The dedication to the stunts and making sure the audience feels every kick, and punch is felt and the emphasis on practical rather than having a million effects artists make a bunch of bullshit on a greenscreen is a nice breath of fresh air and every shot looks like a painting, something I can't say for the vast majority of modern action films.

The Night of the 12th

The Night of the 12th is a police drama where right off the bat the film lets you know that the following case is one of many in France that never gets solved. which is to its benefit but also to its detriment because, on the one hand, you are watching it from an angle that is hardly ever explored in the genre but because you already know the conclusion it does deflate the dramatic tension somewhat but like the characters in the film you are left with more questions then answers, why was this girl killed in such a cruel and senseless way? Why wasn't it any other girl? Which one of her former partners could have done the dirty deed? Why is it so hard to get anything done? It's a film that is very sobering to watch due to its point in that that people do evil and inhumane acts seemingly without reason or a clear motive on an almost daily basis and that police a lot of the time are not that affective with solving crimes. With that said it doesn't say anything that you probably didn't already know and you could probably get the same experience by watching the news. You probably would get more closure with some cases, something that this case amongst many never ever finds.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves

This was fun! Not just fun! A Blast! Dungeons and Dragons is an intentional tongue-in-cheek take on the classic board game but manages to have compelling and likeable characters, humour that actually works and doesn't detract from the tone nor go on for too long and a whimsical and wholesome sense of adventure you only found in classic adventure movies from the 1990s. I'm glad that it is only going to be only one film but if they decided to make a follow-up to this with the same cast and writers I wouldn't feel disappointed.

AIR

Despite being an obvious commercial for Nike as well as an opportunity to pat themselves on the back AIR is still an enjoyable biopic from Ben Affleck who also steals the show as former CEO Phil Knight. I have no doubt that given the financial situation with the company at the time, them trying to sign Michael Jordan would have been a risky move but the most compelling aspect of the movie is learning how the company played ball (no pun intended) with paying all their athletes a fair wage for their likeness and involvement with the company thanks to the help of Jordan's Mother played exceptionally by Viola Davis. Although the choice to constantly Idolise Michael Jordan as this god to the point where they never reveal his face in the actual meeting feels like a weird choice (although that might have been for legal reasons I'm not sure) and when Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) goes on an impassionate speech about how much of a legend is going to be, moments like that kinda come off as parody, I'm just saying...

Perfect Addiction

Would not have watched this if it weren't for the fact that occasionally I and my bro like to give us terrible-looking movies to watch every Friday for fun. We call this occasion "Shit Movie Friday" this is another one of those cases. Let's keep this short. Terrible acting, terrible direction, atrocious dialogue, constant overbearing narration, awful soundtrack and a plot that makes no sense. No one talks or behaves like a real person, the whole thing feels very low budget and cheap and feels like it was rushed on a weekend, it would be no better on the hallmark channel, or if you are in the UK like me, Channel 5.

Renfield

Renfield is this year's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. A Nic Cage movie that has a great concept but is nothing but wasted potential, instead of committing to its premise of the title character (Nicholas Hoult) learning to break free of his abusive relationship with Dracular (Cage) the movie (Like TUWOMT) would rather focus on stuff that doesn't matter, like a boring and uninteresting cop drama involving the Mafia. Everything about this plot feels thrown together and the whole thing feels unfocused as if the movie doesn't really know what it wants to be. There are only a few laughs and one really fun gory fight scene that was very satisfying to watch but overall that's about all I got out of Renfield.

One Fine Morning

One Fine Morning is a lovely but at the same time very sad drama about learning to let go. About a woman who feels a massive weight on her shoulders due to her father's illness while also dealing with an old flame, a young daughter and a family who have differing ideas on how to deal with a beloved family member who is losing his ability to not only do what was best at but recognise any of his loved ones. It's a nice slice-of-life film that is both funny and sweet but quietly melancholic. All accompanied by the charming and Illuminating presence of Lea Seydoux.

How To Blow Up a Pipeline

A part of me is kinda surprised that a movie like this exists, and equally surprising that the FBI didn't learn about this sooner and bought a hit squad to get this production shut down. Anyway, while I can't speak for how accurate the science is in terms of how the characters make their own bomb, How to Blow Up a Pipeline is upfront in terms of what it's about, what its goals and intentions are and how strongly it feels about the reality we currently live under and in an age where people like to sugarcoat downplay big and existential crises, more of this should be embraced. That's not the only reason this works well on its own. The cinematography is beautiful and gritty, the synth score fills the stomach with butterflies, all the characters are well established and the pacing is just right, constantly always moving while having small and brisk breaks for backstory, wasting no time.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is one of the few films of the modern day that makes me sort of glad that I live in Britain as director Hettie McDonald and cinematographer Kate McCullough make the UK look more majestic of a place to live in while also not excluding the gritty realism and the more unpleasant side of things. It's a very moving and compelling story of self-forgiveness and filling an empty void in your life, as someone who has suffered depression I feel that becoming a Pilgram would help me out. The only problem I have with it is that it feels like it ends on a somewhat incomplete note and characters and some plot elements are left hanging but all in all this is a well-made drama with brilliant performances from both Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

I'll be honest, ever since Thor Love and Thunder, I have finally decided to call it quits on Marvel after The Marvels set to come out late this year, If only this had been the last movie in the MCU that I would ever see because what a high note to end it on. With a brilliant and ruthless villain, a perfect payoff to every character and their arcs, and consistently both funny and heartbreaking, it just about gets everything right as far as an MCU movie in 2023 is concerned. After seeing the obvious disdain for the audience and lack of anyone that really cared, aspects completely present in Thor Love and Thunder, Watching this gave me a nice reminder that not every blockbuster out our days is completely soulless.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

I like many others did not read the book this is based on before seeing this but all I heard about it was that it was very controversial when it came out in the 70s because women's anatomy was still seen as a terrifying concept to people back then but the book gave girls across generations clarity that what was happening to their bodies as they become teenagers where completely normal and there is nothing to be worried about. These are facts that in the present day we would go "Well yeah no shit" but the fact that people got so worked up over a simple story of a girl discovering who she is just because of periods is a recurring theme in it is crazy to me but anyway's good film, very quaint and simple but sometimes that's all you need.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

I feel I can't talk about this movie without talking about the controversy surrounding the animators and the conditions they worked under. All I'll say is that if you are making your animators work so fast to the point that the movie isn't even finished until a number of days before the official premiere, then this really needs to be your wakeup call, cause this is a really good movie, a vast improvement over Into the Spiderverse and is consistently finding new ways to excite, surprise and move you off your seat all culminating in a cliffhanger that had my mouth to the floor but you don't need to make your crew work like hell in order to get to that point!

Reality

Reality Winner's story has been adapted into a play with the FBI transcript being the basis for the script and has been performed on stage numerous times. Now playwright and director Tina Sattler has taken this concept to the screen with some interesting but at times uneven results. At its best, the film is not only a damming portrayal of the US government's treatment of whistleblowers (unless they are talking about aliens then they'll let them have the floor for some reason) but the movie is a fascinating example of how awkward many interrogations are compared to their portrayal in media. It makes for a very realistic experience as you slowly watch the investigators dismantle Winner's attempts to cover her tracks. The film however tries to apply more cinematic language by having flashy edits and cuts in dialogue to censor the stuff redacted in the original transcript and they also constantly cut to real-life pictures of the people featured as well as a bunch of other details before cutting back to the actors performing. It constantly reminds you that you watching a movie and it sort of takes you out of the experience. Sidney Sweeney is exceptional as is Josh Hamilton and the film at its best is when it just lets the performances happen in a raw and unfiltered way, without any flourishes in post-production getting in the way, flawed but worth a look.

Asteroid City

Asteroid City is the first Wes Anderson I've seen where I can't fully decipher what it's saying but it seems to be about a lot of things. Grief, love, loss, our place in the universe and what keeps us together during an unimaginable situation outside of anyone's control are, all told in Wes Anderson's typical flourishes, It's a very entertaining film to watch but one that's a lot to unpack upfront but it's certainly worth a watch. It's one where I can see get better on multiple viewings.

No Hard Feelings

I didn't come into No Hard Feelings with high expectations, "Ohh would you look at that an a-list Hollywood babe is dating a weird skinny nerdy kid hahaha" and while on the surface that is what the film is about, it slowly morphs into something sweeter and sensitive as a woman in her 30s who stuck in dead-end jobs with no real direction in life coaches this extremely shy kid into stepping into adulthood. Seeing how these two characters shape their experiences in small ways made the film a somewhat nuanced experience which is not what I was expecting, even though it barely passes the 6 laugh test and parts resemble more a dramedy than a sex comedy. Jennifer Lawrence is clearly having so much fun and I haven't stopped listening to Andrew Bath Feldman's cover of Maneater by Hall and Oats ever since first viewing. Not a great movie by any means but you could do worse.

Kill Boksoon

Kill Boksoon seemed to come out of nowhere and like a lot of movies on Netflix, was seemingly dumped without word of mouth and left on there with the rest of the unseen crap altogether. Imagine John Wick but set in South Korea and instead of a man it's a woman who's a legend in the assassin world, and imagine she also has a daughter who's going through adolense and first love. If all this sounds awesome to you then you will have a blast with this one, Like John Wick it can risk overstaying it's welcome but the emphasis on family drama makes the whole film feel fresh and when the action scenes do start... boy do they pack a punch!

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1

Just as you think they couldn't possibly outdo themselves, out comes Tom Cruse and another Mission Impossible film to lay that theory to rest. The biggest thing that stood out to me about this new instalment is not only how memorable the threat is compared to the other instalments but how tangible the threat is to our current existence as Ethan Hunt and crew (along with a new recruit who would rather do anything other than listen to him) have to stop a powerful AI that has not only become self-aware and gone rouge but all the world governments who want to control it for their own gain. The threat feels more believable this time around in spite of the ridiculous carnage, stunts and people wearing other people's faces. I'm excited to find out not only how this series will include but how will MR Tom Cruse end it on a high note? What extreme stunt will he do to finally lay that part of him to rest? only time will tell.

Nimona

For those who don't know, Nimona was originally a production at Blue Sky Studios known for the Ice Age films but after the Merger between Fox and Disney, they were shut down and had to move production elsewhere, but thankfully after 4 years they finally recouped their losses, finished the project and released a pretty good animated film. With a very unique fantasy fairy tale world distinctly modernized and a theme and message that is carefully and powerfully defined. That being how children are not born with hate and prejudice in their hearts but they are taught it through their parents, the media and those in power whose sole foundation is to eradicate anything remotely different. With that said the film is so enjoyable, with two likeable main characters with two great actors to accompany them and the animation while not being the most polished, is a lot of fun, especially with how the title character constantly changes form and how her face grins wider and wider with excitement to tear it all down.

Elemental

I was pleasantly surprised by Elemental because I didn't think it look particularly good on the surface, a film about living breathing elements that's also an allegory for race. colour me shocked! but what I enjoyed about it is that it wasn't really about the love story between the fire girl and the water man even though that is one of the main focuses, it was about said fire girl learning to make her family proud, that same family who have worked hard to give her an easy living in a place where xenophobia between people like her is normalized, how do you grapple with that weight in your shoulders?what should you do to make up for all they have achieved for you? It makes sense to carry through their dream of running a restaurant cause though it's not what you want, Isn't that what your parents worked so hard for? That theme was conveyed effectively while also tying it together with a love story that actually felt earned as both characters complement each other in small and gradually meaningful ways. Not one of Pixar's strongest but far from their weakest either.

Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is not an easy film to get into up front as much like with any film by Chris Nolan, it plays about certain events and is structured in a very loose way instead of having events play in chronological order but unlike Nolan's last film Tenet which was an incoherent mess, by the end of the film you fully understand everything that had happened as what start's out as one man's determination to defeat a powerful evil looming amongst them, only for that creation to become his biggest nightmare. now having to face the consequences of potentially endangering the future of this planet for generations to come with some of the most chilling sequences Nolan has ever done, followed by a final scene that gave me chills as it puts everything into perspective and how much now we take for granted.

Barbie

Barbie is such an oddity. If there was a best way to describe it is that is this year's Top Gun Maverick (hear me out) while very different in terms of genre, Top Gun Maverick was an exceptionally crafted action drama film that also managed to serve as propaganda for the US Navy and the military-industrial complex, Barbie, on the other hand, is fun, bright, playful. consistently funny and has a lot of heart. But it also serves as an advert for Matel, a company known for forcing Children to work in inhumane conditions and now has used the success of this movie to not only double their profits but invest in more movies based on their brands. even for characters that no one has ever heard of before, so we might get a Barney The Dinosaur movie sometime soon which I can't wait. Other than those lingering thoughts on the back of my mind, the movie is fun, it looks good, sounds good and clearly everyone involved had a blast making it, my only gripe is that the movie feels like it's trying to display all of it's messages in one go rather than let any of these messages be fully fleshed out and it does effect the pacing of the film towards the end but don't think I'm being negative, I enjoyed it, I had a blast, and it looks like everyone is too.

Talk To Me

I was aware of the Racka Racka twins but was not aware that they were making a movie, let alone an A24 horror movie, let alone having planned a sequel to said horror film. Talk to Me is a very solid horror with a constant sense of dread, a few shocking moments that had me on edge, and a very nihilistic ending. While its themes of grief are nothing really new in the horror genre the ending makes up for it on the basis of not having to go the easy route of seeing characters finally "come to terms" with their dark past. Sometimes you can't save everyone. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

more reviews and articles coming soon :)