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Talk to Me (2022)
To what extent does misery warrant death?
Is to put an animal out of its misery also to acknowledge the misery of our loved ones, and their own justifications? It seems like a stretch, but aside from human philosophy and our own values, who's to say?
This film destroys the idea that a story needs to encompass one topic alone in order to be cohesive and engaging. Addiction, peer pressure, depression, loneliness - all so beautifully and tastefully done.
I can't commend the Philippou brothers enough for what they've accomplished in making their vision a reality. The editing, performances, cinematography, sound design, all of it form the most visceral horror I've seen since Hereditary.
Succession: Tailgate Party (2023)
Total perfection.
I would not have thought, based on the premise of this episode, that this would be my first 10/10 of this season. The entirety of this episode, aside from the first ten minutes, takes place entirely within the confines of Shiv's home, where which she and Tom are both hosting a pre-election party. I will not dare spoil a single thing about this episode, but there are a myriad of plot points that have built up over the past few seasons that come bubbling to the surface here, and they exceed all expectations. I just love so much how rewarding an experience it is to be a fan of this show. We're drawn into this world of corporate hell, but the writers constantly remind us of the humanity that these characters still possess.
Infinity Pool (2023)
Waste of a good premise
I loved Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral and Possessor. They're both such weird and intriguing films that, while they're not exactly storytelling masterpieces, they both had extremely strong characters, plus the sci-fi and body horror elements were enough to carry them. I live for that stuff - don't we all?
With Infinity Pool I felt nothing. I felt nothing through the seizure inducing orgy. I felt nothing watching the overdone head splitting open like a watermelon trope. I felt zero attachment to any of the characters. Even Mia Goth's character served as something of a parody of a character she plays in her other film, Pearl. Alexander Skarsgard plays perhaps the most stale nothing of a character I have ever bore witness to, and undergoes the most underwhelming character arc perhaps of all time.
Halfway through I was still somewhat excited to see where the concepts would go, but then some 10-minute eye-rolling weird-for-the-sake-of-weird scene would totally stall the movie. Why? It was honestly going so well before the orgy scene :(
What's even more insulting is the half-assed attempt from Cronenberg at communicating his own self-awareness of his pretentiousness through a monologue spoken towards the end of the film. Congratulations, you are self-aware. Write a better movie.
Aftersun (2022)
The only movie to ever make me cry.
I cannot remember a time that a film made me cry. I can't even think of this movie without feeling knots in my throat.
This is such a heartbreaking portrait of parenthood with depression, specifically the perpetual pursuit of keeping that side of you from your child, for the sake of making lasting memories with them.
The little details and layers upon layers to the characters is just spectacular. The performances left me totally speechless. The subtlety and the natural flow of the dialogue and interactions takes a screenwriter with a DEEP understanding of the human condition.
It isn't until we get older that we begin to understand the true anxiety and despair of being an adult, being our parents, and that the vision we had of our future selves at 11 years old was totally unrealistic and ridiculous, specifically for those of us whose anxiety and depression reveals itself to us later in life.
Synchronic (2019)
Pretentious bargain bin time travel.
The screenplay here is quite possibly the worst screenplay I've ever had the displeasure of watching, especially when held next to the movie's intriguing premise, imagery, and special effects. The dialogue is just so bad and lends nothing to the suspension of disbelief required to properly enjoy this kind of film.
A likely excerpt from this movie's pitch meeting: "A time travel movie but every time someone sees the time traveler they chase them and/or they try to stab/impale them. No not every once in a while, like, every single time. No, cause get it, everyone in the olden times had swords."
The Sopranos (1999)
Still ahead of its time.
I wasn't into television when the Sopranos first aired seeing as I was only 5 years old then, so I was curious to see whether it would hold up compared to today's standards, but what I found was a series so ahead of its time that it continues to be ahead of its time still to this day.
The writing, directing, and performances go without saying - even smaller characters like AJ totally kill it in later seasons, and Meadow becoming increasingly likeable. Again, all thanks to the writing. Edie Falco and James Gandolfini give the performances of a lifetime. Jimmy's performance is often described as 'transcendent' and I think that is the most perfect word to describe it.
The ending of this show I've learned was something of a controversy at the time of its airing, which in some ways I can understand, but it is a shame, because those fans who didn't try to understand the ending and resorted to becoming frustrated and hostile missed out on what I believe to be the most perfect ending to a television series to date. I don't believe there is anything to suggest that the ending is ambiguous. There are references throughout the entire finale season, some in previous seasons, and some very not-so-subtle hints there even in the final scene.
Existentialism at its finest. A perfect show without a single weak episode. Yes, even the 'happy birthday Mr. President' episode. You know what I'm talking about.
Dark (2017)
A timeless masterpiece.
It is impossible to put into words how great a work of art this series is. The writing here is totally on another level, to the point where I truly do not think I'll ever be able to watch a science fiction series without constantly comparing it to Dark - I haven't been able to.
Time travel isn't the only thing going here though, it's the family drama, the breathtaking interactions between the characters as they encounter each other throughout separate timelines. The performances, the body language, the delivery, is so perfect that even while you're aware of how completely fantastical the story has become, you can't help but feel like you're right there in the scene, believing every word spoken.
I can't talk about this show without also mentioning the cinematography, sound design, soundtrack, set pieces, makeup. All of these elements on their own would be enough to create a hit, but the perfection and cohesion of all of these elements combined form a timeless masterpiece that I'll remember until I eventually kick the bucket.
Midnight Mass (2021)
An unexpected gem
I wasn't quite sure where all this was going after the first few episodes, but was totally blown away by the final act, which begins in such beautiful and brutal fashion.
I thought this was an incredibly creative series, which interweaves vampire mythology and religious themes in a very clever way. While I feel some of the religious stuff was a bit ham fisted in some scenes, with some monologues transitioning into full on rants, I really like how tastefully it was all done. I don't feel like any one group will feel at all singled out after finishing this series.
The imagery in particular in some of the later scenes is truly something to behold, with great performances that make it all believable.
Unfortunately I do feel the series suffers the same way all of Mike Flanagan's series' suffer in that they could all be much shorter, which is saying a lot seeing that there are only 7 episodes here. For me this always affects the finale in so many ways. I'm always left feeling somewhat unsatisfied after finishing a Mike Flanagan series for one reason or another. All in all though, I enjoyed it quite a but.
The Midnight Club (2022)
Mind-numbingly dull
This show will make you nostalgic for a time you once were entertained by a television show. This show will make you forget what it feels like to anticipate where a story is going - forget how to care about how the characters might navigate it. A great show to watch if you take pleasure in hobbies such as: watching paint dry, scrubbing dried melted cheese off of a fork, waiting for your Uber, etc.
Every single time a character begins speaking in this show, you are in it for the long haul. Nearly every line in this show - from the very first episode - is a long, drawn out, contrived monologue. Despite it being drilled into your head every second that these characters are terminal, you will find it impossible to relate to, or even tolerate any of them.
If you are frightened by old people with spooky eye shadow, get used to it; there are at least a dozen jump scares per episode featuring them. This show might even cure your fear.
The length of this show is completely ridiculous. There are several episodes that would have been totally unnecessary if not for a few scenes that progress the plot. I understand the intention of the writers when it comes to the anthology aspect and the short stories, but they are so mind-numbingly boring and drawn out that they fall totally flat. Once you figure out how each one relates to the character telling it, the rest of the story becomes worthless. They are clearly there to pad the length of the episodes.
A complete letdown from Mike Flanagan.
Ozark: A Hard Way to Go (2022)
Just why?
I was 100% prepared to love this episode despite the negative feedback. I went in prepared for every character to die brutal deaths and I was excited to do so. I love this show, but this was possibly the most unusual experience I've ever had watching an episode of a show I'd loved watching so much.
The final scene of the entire show, where dozens of people die brutal on screen deaths, is a cut-to-black gunshot. The final scene of the entire show where character development plays a prominent role contains a character that had little-to-no development during the entire season and was essentially retconned back in when his story had already concluded.
The last 10-minutes of this episode features EVERY major character doing something completely out of character for the sake of, what I assume, an intentionally unsatisfying and subversive ending. I really do not want to believe that the writers wiped an entire season's worth of character development with a traumatic car crash that isn't referenced even once after it occurs, but it really seems like that's what we're meant to accept and, I suppose, analyze.
I get it. I totally get what they were going for here. In the grand scheme of things this ending makes sense, but the route to get there was messy, rushed, and not at all believable.
Succession (2018)
In a league of its own.
In a world that seems to be saturated with more and more contrived, melodramatic television, this show and its characters are a breath of fresh air. Just when you think there has come a turning point - a point in which you may project your own feelings onto how the characters might cope with these situations, the writers use this as an opportunity not only to subvert your expectations in an entertaining way, but to develop the characters in an incredibly natural, funny, sometimes heartbreaking manner.
This brings me to the performances: I truly cannot imagine a more perfect cast. In every single parallel universe in which this show is successful there is Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Matthew MacFadyen, Nicholas Braun, etc.
Directing and score are also one-of-a-kind. I am constantly blown away. I am so sad to have to wait for more, but I am reassured in knowing for certain that future seasons will deliver.
Nope (2022)
Jaw-Dropping Imagery
An all-time instant classic. There were several moments I was left totally speechless at the sound design and visuals. This is such a beautifully crafted, creative film that I won't forget about for a long time. Embrace the campiness, this isn't a soap opera. Bravo to all those that worked on this film.