Best Films Of 2023
A continuous work in progress, from what I've seen so far...
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- DirectorCord JeffersonStarsJeffrey WrightTracee Ellis RossJohn OrtizA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.Wow! A film that actually engages both our hearts and minds with some openness. I was beginning to think that the bigger Hollywood studios didn't make these kinds of films anymore, (Other than the overly manipulative kind of course). Here, we are often purposefully left to make up our own hearts and minds about how we feel and think about most of the ideas that this film brings up. To me, this is how most good films are. There is a maturity to this type of delivery, and also a level of respect for the audience. In my view, this really is a strong feature film directorial debut from Cord Jefferson. I hope to see more from him soon.
How is it that this dramatic comedy is easily three times as challenging of a film, than a film about the invention of the atomic bomb is? You people can keep Oppenheimer. For me, this is the far more interesting and intelligent film of 2023.
8/10 - DirectorChuck KonzelmanCary SolomonStarsSean Patrick FlaneryJordan BelfiTom OhmerOn the day of his scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer gets a psychiatric evaluation during which he claims he is a demon, and further claims that before their time is over, the psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own.Very well executed low budget psychological horror film. The story is familiar for certain. However I can't say I've seen such a story told in quite this way. As far as I'm concerned, the film is very effective in what it sets out to do. For the budget especially, it's an impressive piece of filmmaking. The writing here is surprisingly very good, and the acting is also quite strong. 7.5/10
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsMatt DamonJason BatemanBen AffleckFollows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan."Is it the shoes?"
I have to say that for what it is, it's quite good. This could've easily been a bad film, but Affleck and the writer handle the story well. It could've been better I think, but at the same time, it more likely would've been worse in the hands of most Hollywood people to be quite honest.
For my money, Michael still is the greatest basketball player of all time. Not only was he and Ali the most recognizable faces on the entire earth during the late 80's, and throughout the 90's. Jordan did have that amazing ability to come through when it mattered most. In the biggest games, he was nearly unstoppable. For that alone, I think he is the greatest hoops star ever. There are many greats in all the sports, but only the very, very best are continuously known to come up big in the biggest games. That's where the legends are really made, in the clutch. And Jordan was just that, Mr. Clutch. Though in basketball, that name was already given to Jerry West by the time Air arrived. So...Air it is.
I also feel that overall Jordan is least appreciated for what an amazing defender he was. His intensity level was fierce on both sides of the court.
My title here is a nod to fans of the somewhat legendary Midway videogame, NBA Jam from the early 90's.
7.5/10 - DirectorNadine CrockerStarsGarrett HedlundWilla FitzgeraldRyan HurstA Southern Noir thriller, set in a tough-and-tumble Mississippi town where a woman and her young daughter are caught in the crossfire when whiskey, guns, and the desire for revenge violently intersect."Words have power if you mean them, and it doesn't matter what you and me thinks is fair." - Mitchell (Mel Gibson)
January 29th, 2024.
This doesn't have too many votes yet, but it's a 5.7/10 on here so far. That's just crazy to me! Perhaps many of the people who've rated this film so far, have entirely forgotten, or perhaps never even realized, that they indeed are miracles.
This is a more thoughtful film than most, which in some regard revolves around fate and the human circumstance.
"It's like you wakeup one day, and you're just here. Like a stone, thrown into this world, but you don't know who threw it, or which direction it came from." - Maben
I would say it mostly revolves around two characters who have been through a lot of pain and struggle, and who are somewhat desperately trying to right their own paths.
"Maybe there will be a miracle, some way to begin again." - Maben
Not so sure why they're marketing this as an action genre film. Not a smart choice in my view. It's really not an action film overall. It's mostly a drama/thriller, and there are a few scenes with some action. In my view, marketing this as an action film will quite easily persuade some people to expect much more action than they should from it. And by doing this, the marketing team only sets some of these viewers up for at least some level of disappointment, because the expectation they set is not met. Some advice for the people behind this film, get a new marketing team for your next project. I'm certain there'd be less disappointed reactions if everyone just went into this film thinking that it was a drama/thriller, as it mostly is.
*** Partial Spoiler Below ***
This could be considered a film noir, however the end can't really be seen as dark in my view.
Garrett Hedlund (Russell) "I don't recall anything about no huntin' rifle in the New Testament."
Mel Gibson (Mitchell) "Well, you can only turn so many cheeks, and I only got four, so..."
7.5/10 - DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsKhris DavisJasmine MathewsSullivan JonesFueled by an impoverished childhood, George Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit.This is a very real, and very inspiring story. It's far too real for many of the critics it seems. Many of them seem to want heartless and flashy nowadays, or overdramatic films with a much more unrealistic heart. There's none of that here, and I'd rather watch more grounded films like this any day of the week. Personally I really didn't care much for the bloated, semi-factual and overly choppily directed Elvis film from 2022. I strongly preferred this much more real feeling story.
I still remember the night Foreman became the Heavyweight Champion of the World for the 2nd time. It was pretty much all anyone was talking about for the next while. How could it even happen? He inspired a ton of old people and a ton of kids as well. To me, Ali and Foreman are truly among histories most inspirational athletes, and more than that, just very inspirational people. They were real however, they both had flaws, but for the most part, both of them successfully overcame many of their shortcomings as well. Both men in fact did it while being greatly inspired by their faith. The film does seem a little rushed at times, as it likely needed to be. When we're dealing with a real persons life, and trying to fit all of the most important parts into a film, that just often has to be the way. Otherwise you end up with a film that's way too long. All in all, I'm certainly glad I went and saw this. Thank you George, for sharing your very inspiring story.
7/10 - DirectorBobby FarrellyStarsWoody HarrelsonKaitlin OlsonMatt CookA former minor-league basketball coach is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined.The script here is really written with such great finesse. There is absolutely zero in this script that links itself to the political trends and hot button issues that you may expect to see in the film. Which really is both surprising, and incredibly brilliant. With the premise itself, you would think that it couldn't help but step into this divisive minefield at least a little. The film really is so very tasteful in its delivery, and also without being overly sensitive. The script really strikes a great balance, and has a wonderful and very aware finesse to it, as does the director and the cast that bring it to life. For that, I have to give this at least a 7 rating. The film wasn't quite as funny as I had hoped, or expected going into it. However I certainly wasn't disappointed by that at all. The film was surprisingly refreshing in other ways. It's a heartfelt film that should make most people smile a good bit. 7/10
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsPaul DanoPete DavidsonVincent D'OnofrioDavid vs. Goliath tale about everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (the video-game store) into the world's hottest company.The Underdog Is Often Easy To Sell, But Hard To Buy
What should we think when the most cash rich Japanese company/corporation in the world, produces a film slamming the modern American financial world/Wall Street in multiple ways? Well, it's certainly worth some thought anyways. In this film and in the real life story it somewhat loosely tells, for those with interest there's a lot of food for thought. The film certainly isn't great, but the questions it may lead you to ask, and the things it may make you think about are the most important aspects of the film. At least to me they definitely are. Overall the film is also reasonably entertaining. As far as the actual filmmaking goes, the biggest highlight is that Dano puts in a strong performance, and is highly believable in the leading role.
7/10 - DirectorAlejandro MonteverdeStarsJim CaviezelMira SorvinoBill CampThe incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from traffickers.A Call To Action...
In terms of going after our officials to do more around this illegal and horrific topic, that is certainly the clear message and motivation behind this film. It really does seem somewhat like an advertisement to bring more awareness to how large of a problem this trade has become in our current world. At the same time, I didn't feel it overly sold itself, mainly because the harsh reality of slavery is a cause well worth helping. AND, this film does a good job in helping us all understand that in a little more of an intimate, modern, heartfelt, and yet in our face type of way. It's not a film that informs us of the problem much really, since of course this is a very underground and/or hidden trade for the most part. It is more a film of hope within tragedy, and one that aims to inspire more awareness and help toward these kinds of crimes.
This is definitely among the better films ever made on this subject matter. A tastefully told story considering the topic, but at the same time it's still somewhat challenging. Or at least it should be somewhat challenging emotionally to watch some of these scenes.
This film is certainly somewhat depressing, but at the same time it is quite hopeful, and certainly the story is also quite inspirational. There are a lot of qualities here despite the heavy subject, and a strong sense of balance in the storytelling delivery.
A few publications have slammed the filmmaking, but it only makes me look harder at these publications for what their motivation is in saying such a thing. I would agree, it's certainly not director of the year type stuff, nor screenplay of the year. However, all in all this film is easily far better than most of the junk coming out of Hollywood in recent years. I also feel the filmmaking itself has a decent amount of finesse to the delivery, a finesse that actually fits the script very well. There are also some fairly compelling moments quite well captured in this film for anyone with a decently working heart and mind.
There does seem to be a lot of politically connected articles regarding this film, but in truth, within the film there really is nothing that is directly relevant to current American politics at all. That is, other than to perhaps put some more pressure on officials to do more about this kind of crime. Personally, I found it to be a very worthy effort, with apparently nothing but good intentions within it. In my view, if there is some political backlash relevant to this; I'd say it should be solely on certain individuals surrounding the film perhaps, and what they've said personally, but not on this film itself. Since in all reality, there's nothing in this film that justifies any political backlash.
I've noticed the corporate/mainstream media often try to link this film to QAnon even, which seems entirely absurd to me, since in fact this film was made before QAnon was even said to be a thing. This film has waited years for distribution!! Hello? Most of the mainstream media today is out to lunch at the very minimum (Perhaps even much worse than that.), and thankfully at this point, at least most people these days seem to realize this. In my country, Canada, we've even seen the same kind of dirty media tactics/propaganda here as in the US mainstream. Entirely fabricated stories smearing certain electoral candidates and helping others just before elections, and then after the elections they as quietly as possible admit that their stories had no concrete basis at all. This is very irresponsible and dangerous stuff from the media. Far more dangerous than free speech on the internet or people entertaining possible conspiracy theories, things in which much of the media these days tries to claim is somehow dangerous to the public. Without free speech and free thinking, our societies would be much more like China, or dare I say, Iran. No thanks media, if you want that world, then go move there. We don't want it here. If too much power is given to too few people, little more than a slave type of society is basically the only eventual result. Look around! Most people do not have the freedoms you have, and it's up to us to help keep it. All I'm saying people is this, think before you make political choices these days. Get yourself informed, and if you're not well informed, then don't vote. The third world war will not be fought with weapons, it is being fought right now in a very real sense with information. As it has been said for thousands of years, the truth shall set you free...
7/10 - DirectorJulius AveryStarsRussell CroweDaniel ZovattoAlexandra EssoeFollow Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's leading exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.There will be many differing perspectives of this one for certain. So many ways to look at a film such as this.
To me, from the pure standpoint of an entertaining horror film. I'd say it's fairly good. However I also think that the majority of horror fans will find the film to be fairly unoriginal.
From the standpoint of, does it fit into the possible spiritual reality of our world? In other words, can the film actually hold a knowledgeable person's suspension of disbelief? I would say that the answer to this of course will be quite individual, but yes. I think, the more you know, the more you see that it perhaps could. The less you know, the more likely a person is to doubt the possibility of it at all.
So really, this is such a film that many will think, as many have said of it, it's just another film on this subject matter, and quite standard. On the surface, this is extremely true in my view. However, looking deeper into it, it is really not so standard at all.
Here's the major difference between this, and almost every single other film on this subject ever made. This film does not contradict real spirituality within the script/story.
It does have a sense of humor, which apparently is a fact about the actual Priest the film is based on. I have not yet looked deeply into how in depth they tried to stay to the real stories of this specific Exorcist. I do not know how much artistic license was used here. However I do know this for certain, it aligns writing wise with what perhaps could be possible from the standpoint of truly highly spiritual people.
A perfect example of contrast in recent memory is Saint Maude from 2019. While that film in many aspects, perhaps nearly all aspects even is the superior film in terms of the filmmaking itself. That film has some great atmosphere and pace, and has many great things about it. From the standpoint of real spiritual intelligence however, that film does not even come close to touching this one. While Saint Maude was a very well made film. From a real spiritual standpoint however, Saint Maude spiritually is a very unintelligent film in terms of the real world. It's purely nonsense, 100% fiction for certain. This film however, while not going into great depths or anything, it does not contradict or show ignorance toward real spiritual matters whatsoever. I know this. I've studied ancient spiritual texts and conversed with really deep spiritual people for nearly 30 years now. From the standpoint of people who really do embrace spiritual life as a very real and everyday thing, this film is not just your typical Hollywood fantasy horror at all. It at least leaves that very real door open, which is without a doubt a very rare thing in modern supernaturally based film.
Both this film and Champions (2023) really do have scripts written with some real intelligence and finesse. I have to applaud this kind of effort from these artists, for both films. Most modern films in my view lack for the most part in the writing department. So this is a nice little trend to notice in some of the early 2023 popular films.
Overall, I really feel it's hard for me to recommend this film in a general sense. It really depends what you're looking for. This film will definitely interest some people a lot. It will also be something many people want nothing to do with. Others will see it entirely as a been there, done that kind of film. In a very real sense, I don't consider any of those interpretations/reactions to be unfitting of the film. It's not a ground breaking horror film, but for it's type, and in claiming to be a true story, the film is a reasonable contribution to entertainment at least, perhaps it's even a little more than that. I know I plan to read a good bit into the stories of this exorcist in the very near future, just to get a better feel for how close to his stories they tried to keep this film, and to get a sense of his real perspective of things. Personally, I'm glad I saw this.
7/10 - DirectorTeodora MihaiStarsArcelia RamírezÁlvaro GuerreroAyelén MuzoStory of Cielo, a mother whose teenage daughter is kidnapped in Northern Mexico. When the authorities offer no support in the search, Cielo takes matters into her own hands and transforms from housewife into a vengeful militant.There are many great things about this film, it captures a horrific reality with the kind of realism that we basically never see out of Hollywood. At the same time however, I do feel the film did miss in a few important areas as well. Nonetheless, this is a scary film because of its realism. Mostly the film is very effective. In all honesty, this is easily more gut wrenching than Sound of Freedom, mainly because the scenes here mostly feel even far more real. Most people don't even want to see films like this, films this authentic feeling, films this scary. 7/10
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsJason SchwartzmanScarlett JohanssonTom HanksFollowing a writer on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever.For those who appreciate artistic films, check this one out. This was ever so slightly just shy of a 7 for me. 6.5/10
- DirectorMichael MannStarsAdam DriverShailene WoodleyGiuseppe FestineseSet in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.In my view it's definitely worth a watch if you're interested. 6.5/10
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsEmma StoneMark RuffaloWillem DafoeAn account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.Why didn't they just call it Frankenhooker Part 2?
Quite funny at times, but all in all; There's really nothing of substance here that hasn't already been done better in previous films and in similar stories. In many ways, the writing overall falls short of making this anything special. Even some of the scene executions themselves seem to be somewhat lacking, as if there's a lack of focus on detail by the director/editor. To me, the film reaches for grand things with the surreal visuals and story, but it definitely stumbles quite hard in terms of the writing. In this aspect, the film is much lesser than many other films/stories of its type. It is overall however, a good bit better than Frankenhooker in my view, which I definitely do not recommend. - DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseHayley AtwellVing RhamesEthan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.Definitely among the better Mission films. 6.5/10
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonDakota FanningEugenio MastrandreaRobert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia.The film is worth seeing on the big screen in my view just based on the spectacular Italian setting alone. 6.5/10
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsJohn David WashingtonMadeleine Yuna VoylesGemma ChanAgainst the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.Hollywood May Be Trying To Dehumanize Us All
If you don't take this too seriously, it's quite entertaining, and that's really all that this film is. Just another piece of entertainment. There's really almost nothing thought provoking within the entire film. It is most reminiscent of a modern Star Wars film, or even in a sense a superhero film in terms of its story. There's basically nothing new here, it's mostly very predictable, yet it's fairly fun and it's definitely a reasonably beautiful film in terms of its visuals.
To me, the best thing about it honestly was that the film portrays American imperialists at least, as having less heart in their behavior than even the robots have. Since there really was nothing challenging in the film, at least it had this to ponder and laugh about. I enjoyed the Americans being portrayed as somewhat Naziesque. The film really says something like humans in general have less heart than the robots, but then goes on to show this only through the American government/military interests. Certainly not all of the humans here are shown to be shallow and/or cold.
You know what has really had the best visuals so far this year however. It's not The Creator, and it's not Mission: Impossible or the Equalizer. It's this seasons episode 2 from the TV show Ride with Norman Reedus. Northern Italy looks absolutely spectacular.
Anyway, this film has a nod to Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?/Blade Runner, as it is somewhat about dehumanized humans and humanized androids. The film in fact outright quotes the Tyrell Corporation's slogan, 'More Human Than Human' and even the title 'The Creator' seems to be a nod of sorts I'd say. However this film really isn't in the same league intellectually as anything that well resembles the work of Philip K. Dick. Nonetheless, it's worth a look if you just want a reasonably entertaining sci-fi film, and the theatre is not a bad place to see it considering the visuals.
Fans of the great AI themed TV series, Äkta människor and its UK/American remake, Humans may notice that Gemma Chan ('Maya'), once again plays a lead android character here. As soon as I saw her, I was like, "Mia!". Those were easily two of the best TV series' in the last decade in my view. Certainly they were far more interesting and thought provoking than almost anything we're seeing these days. The word that mostly captures the entertainment world right now seems to be 'safe'. In other words, there's practically no new ideas coming out, no new ways of looking at anything, nothing new to consider. Almost nothing but safe and familiar formulas and approaches. Mostly it's just regurgitated junk as if the industry is just trying to put us mentally to sleep or dehumanize us. Well, at least Creator is fairly fun and visually impressive junk. Judging by how high you people have rated the very standard and even more safe Oppenheimer so far, I'd say most of you are mentally asleep already.
6.5/10 - DirectorJean-François RichetStarsGerard ButlerMike ColterTony GoldwynA pilot finds himself caught in a war zone after he's forced to land his commercial aircraft during a terrible storm.The film definitely moves with good pace. 6.5/10
- DirectorBen YoungStarsBilly Bob ThorntonRobin WrightHopper PennSet in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains, eighteen-year-old Jacob McNeely is torn between appeasing his meth-dealing kingpin father and leaving the mountains forever with the girl he loves.For melodrama to work well, it usually needs to have good dialogue, or at least a great sense of timing in the delivery. This film for the most part definitely lacks in the dialogue department, and the film, especially early on never really finds itself a way to ease the viewer into the characters or the atmosphere in a way that really feels genuine. Much of the timing and execution is just not quite fitting at times, and it makes it feel too much like a film, rather than anything even nearly real. The film however does get somewhat better as it goes. There are a few moments in the film that are well captured, far from all of it however. Most of that I think is just the lack of a quality script in some areas. Some parts of the film feel like a very forced soap opera basically, yet other parts seem a little rushed. Some parts a little overdone, and other parts underdone. All in all however, if you're into films of this kind of subject, it's definitely not terrible overall. Some moments of the film are quite effective. It does have enough in it to make it worth a watch for many I think, but it's certainly not for everyone. 6/10
- DirectorMatt JohnsonStarsJay BaruchelGlenn HowertonMatt JohnsonThe story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.Reasonably good if you're interested in this story. Nothing more, nothing less. 6/10
- DirectorJustine TrietStarsSandra HüllerSwann ArlaudMilo Machado-GranerA woman is suspected of murder after her husband's death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.Drastically overrated by the majority of critics in my view. To me, much of the problem with the film lies in the first few minutes. I was already entirely convinced of what happened within those first few minutes by the scenes themselves, (And I couldn't see it making sense any other way.) and by the end, my very early conclusion was shown to be correct. The main problem with the film is the writing, and in the film not leaving enough doubt as to what may have happened. To me, there was never ANY real reason at all to even suspect the wife beyond her being present at the scene. I fail to believe that this woman would've even been in court in the first place. Not fully explained blood spatter alone is not nearly enough to convict someone on. Sure, the authorities would've grilled her, and been watching her, and looking into everything in her past for a time. That's about as far as it would ever go here however with what they had. All they had was a shaky motive suspicion and not fully explained blood spatter. No authorities would even take the chance to file this charge to begin with. I love watching hard to solve true crime stories or even fictional ones, and to me this just felt overly contrived from quite early on. There are a few legal matters in this film that seem very far from reality, which only made this story feel even more overly manufactured. The film however does get a reasonable rating from me, because aside from the overly contrived aspect of the writing in places, otherwise the film does feel very authentic. The acting and most interactions in the film do come across as feeling quite real. I also feel the makers here were after something interesting, but overall it just wasn't done entirely well enough to shine through. Their aim was good I feel, but the result here misses the target almost entirely. To me the film drastically lacks in terms of feeling fresh, or even compelling. The film was a bore mostly, mainly because the writing was just not of a high enough quality. We've seen much better films about reality and the perception of it. This film really doesn't offer anything new on the matter, nor was it nearly compelling enough to warrant more than 6 stars from me. They could in theory take this same story, write it a little more tightly and creatively, and tell it in about 2 hours. The films running time is also without merit in my opinion. This almost gets a 5 from me, but 6 I think is fair.
6/10 - DirectorJalmari HelanderStarsJorma TommilaAksel HennieJack DoolanWhen an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.For what it is, it's pretty good. If you know what it is going into it, that it's a one man army kind of story, and you're into this kind of film: Then you'll at least find it decently entertaining I'd say. I found it overall, from start to finish certainly more entertaining than Wick 4. At the same time, there's nothing really here that makes it all that special either. Also, there are some parts in Wick 4 that certainly outdo anything in this film. There's certainly a heavy Tarantino influence in this. To me the best thing about the film were the shots, it was a well shot film. 6/10
- DirectorLaura TerrusoStarsRobert De NiroSebastian ManiscalcoLeslie BibbWhen Sebastian tells his old-school Italian immigrant father Salvo that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, Salvo insists on crashing a weekend with her tony parents.It's definitely a film that could be skipped over, though it's far from entirely terrible. It was a passable comedy to me, but certainly nothing special. 6/10
- DirectorBrandon CronenbergStarsAlexander SkarsgårdMia GothCleopatra ColemanJames and Em Foster are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation in the fictional island of La Tolqa, when a fatal accident exposes the resort's perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors.There's absolutely nothing to like here, yet I sort of loved it! Not really, but kind of.
It's another pretty bad film from the young Cronenberg, quite honestly.
This film does continue the theme of a series of the better films in recent memory, that of class warfare. Excess is also another common to our time theme, which is very much a part of this film.
In terms of excess, this film to me blows away the also very recent Babylon, by over celebrated writer/director Damien Chazelle. I agree, he's impressive in a technical sense, and he has created some great scenes here and there, but to me the guy's not at all a strong writer overall. To me, Babylon was basically unimportant and boring nonsense. Triangle of Sadness also has some excess involved, as well as the theme of class warfare.
Anyway, I mostly thought this film was quite terrible, however at the same time I really did love the way you can use this film as an overall allegory of our entire modern world. In a very real sense, the resort in this film, is sort of like how the powerful of our real world have created for themselves, a sort of playground where rarely, if ever are they held accountable to the laws and rules of the world that the vast majority of people are. In this way, I did find the film to be quite thought provoking. However this allegory is clearly not even entirely intentional by the filmmaker, though there is some startling reality to it. For this thought provoking aspect alone, is really the only reason I consider the film to be rated anywhere near the rating I'm giving it. I didn't really like the film much at all, however I did enjoy the way the film was a bit of a springboard toward some very interesting thoughts and realizations that it inspired in me. It's not a good film, nothing close to his Father's best work, or even to his more mediocre work. However at the same time, it may be well worth a viewing for a certain audience. For the masses, don't waste your time. 6/10 - DirectorNick CassavetesStarsMaika MonroeNikolaj Coster-WaldauKarl GlusmanTaking matters into his own hands, Detective Bob Hightower tries to infiltrate an evil cult to save his kidnapped daughter and avenge the murder of his wife.Unfortunately I only saw the highly cut 120 minute version, as so far this is actually the only cut available to rent in Canada. I didn't realize this until after I watched the entire film, or I wouldn't have even bothered with it until I could get ahold of the full cut, which is over a half hour longer. Anyway, the film was far from all bad, but certainly the cut version is very tame other than some pretty vulgar language. Hard for me to say what the full film is like in all honesty, eventually hopefully I'll be able to see it all. Though I imagine I would at least slightly rate the uncut version a little higher, I can only give this cut version this rating... 5.5/10
- DirectorSean DurkinStarsZac EfronJeremy Allen WhiteHarris DickinsonThe true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.The storytelling/writing here leaves much to be desired. 5.5/10