Starman

Earth invites aliens to visit. Alien accepts the invite, by way of a dead American man. America makes it awkward. But the man’s widow is along for the ride… in more ways than one.

Look. This one had me in the first half. Cute. Quaint. Quirky. And an out-of-this-world performance from the one and only Jeff Bridges. But then at the very end–in a train car–this takes a weirdly 80’s turn and I can’t unhear the words or unsee the things. Took me completely out of it and there was no redemption to be found.

Rating: 2.0

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• Director: John Carpenter
• MPAA: PG
• Runtime: 1h 55m
• Year: 1984

Monkey Man

When will the bad guys learn? You don’t mess with someone’s dog, car, or mom. Plain-n-simple. Because if/when you do, you welcome the relentless ass-whooping that will ensue and will have deserved every throat punch and bitch slap you get.

Dev Patel’s maiden voyage in the director’s chair was a decent one. I think this movie was waaaaay too long and could’ve been tightened up. You could also tell that they kept the original Netflix ending of cutting off midsentence. But I was entertained with the fight sequences. Plus, anyone who relies on an army of kick-ass LGBTQ+ members is okay in my book.

Rating: 3.0

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• Director: Dev Patel
• MPAA: R
• Runtime: 2h 1m
• Year: 2024

Late Night with the Devil

David Dastmalchian delivers a stand-out performance as a struggling late night host trying to keep his show alive. The film is a a modern take on campy horror and exquisitely represents 1970’s late night shows, focusing on an infamous Halloween taping. Too bad the ending ruined all hope this had for being truly monumental.

Rating: 3.0

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• Director: Cameron Cairnes & Colin Cairnes
• MPAA: R
• Runtime: 1h 33m
• Year: 2023

Next Goal Wins

A washed up soccer coach with anger issues is exiled to American Samoa to coach the world’s worst soccer team. They aren’t good. Neither is he. But together they’ll discover the meaning of happiness… and provide some major laughs along the way.

Rating: 4.5

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• Director: Taika Waititi
• MPAA: PG-13
• Runtime: 1h 44m
• Year: 2023

The Women

The Vietnam War was dumb. Fact.
There were no women in Vietnam. Lie.

Follow one Army nurse and her tumultuous struggle during her two tours in ‘Nam. And like with all war, it didn’t end when the veterans returned home. It never really does.

Rating: 4.0

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• Author: Kristin Hannah
• Format: Physical
• Length: 480 pages
• Published: 2024

Civil War

Do you need to feel more hollow/gross/futile than you already do? Great news! Civil War can lure you into a Ford Expedition labeled “Press” and take you on a disheartening adventure of one version of America’s future. Spoiler Alert: Everyone sucks.

I’m way too critical to have fully immersed in the whole experience, but I think the message was very clear. Even if the plot wasn’t. Or the backstory. Or the rules of the internet. However, I am 0% critical of Kirsten Dunst. Amazing. No notes.

Rating: 3.5

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• Director: Alex Garland
• MPAA: R
• Runtime: 1h 49m
• Year: 2024

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Hundreds of years in the future, space travel is commonplace so of course it’s also incorporated. Kira Navárez works for one of those corporations as a xenobiologist. As with all sci-fi stories, something goes horribly wrong and gets exponentially worse before anyone can even think about making it better. Then the other 90% of this epic adventure takes place and it’s honestly better if you don’t know too much. Except that there’s a ‘ship mind’ named Gregorovich who is sassy AF and I love him.

I’m not familiar with Paolini’s fantasy works but this had the feel of a fantastical take on a Weir novel and I love Weir. Truly this was more like four novels put together but I’m not mad about it.

Rating: 4.0

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• Author: Christopher Paolini
• Format: Audiobook
• Length: 32h 29m
• Published: 2020

[Rewatch]: Downton Abbey: A New Era

Downton does meta. The family allows a film crew use their home as a movie set. What a crazy idea, right?

My favorite thing about this movie is its continued parallels between upstairs drama and downstairs drama just like they did in the show. Times are changing and there are threats to ‘the norm’, no matter which end of the staircase you occupy.

Rating: 4.0

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• Director: Simon Curtis
• MPAA: PG
• Runtime: 2h 4m
• Year: 2022

[Rewatch]: Downton Abbey

The Crawleys and their staff have been through so much since we first met them in 1912. And all the while Downton Abbey has been the backdrop for the drama. So of course the logical next step would be a royal visit. The King & Queen are coming to dinner!

Downton Abbey is the series I re-watch the most. And I always complete the quest by adding the films to the watchlist. Now for A New Era…

Rating: 4.0

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• Director: Michael Engler
• MPAA: PG
• Runtime: 2h 2m
• Year: 2019

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Unlike what the movie blurbs said, this movie is actually about Kong accidentally picking a fight with another Titan and then asking Godzilla for help at the last possible second (with the help of yet another Titan). I mean Godzilla does make a few appearances here and there. But he’s mostly napping…I mean recharging. Ya.

It’s still a fun movie that was taking nothing seriously. And that’s why it worked at all. In spite of having one of the worst movie scores to ever exist.

Rating: 3.0

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• Director: Adam Wingard
• MPAA: PG-13
• Runtime: 1h 55m
• Year: 2024