• I Care a Lot: I found it difficult to reconcile my appreciation for the appearance and strong direction of this film with my distaste for its monstrous characters. I get it—not everyone’s a perfect person. But who is there to connect with when its two main characters are such evil assholes? (★★★)
  • On the Rocks: It could have easily slipped into mediocrity if it weren’t for the two towering talents of Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. These two together bring such life to the film, and ignite such curiosity in me. It was a delight and made me think of (and miss) my dad. (★★★★)
  • Promising Young Woman: Gosh, is there anyone better than Carey Mulligan? I don’t think so. She’s been amazing in everything I’ve seen her in. This was an intense and engrossing revenge thriller. I’m very interested in what director Emerald Fennell has in store for the future. (★★★★)
  • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this to work for me? Maybe I needed to be back in my early 20s, like I was when the first one came out? Whatever the case, I didn’t find this enjoyable. I did think Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova put in phenomenal work, though. (★½)
  • Lilo and Stitch: Well, Stitch is just the most adorable thing ever. And this was a fun film to watch on a lazy weekend. The story had some depth. While I never felt like the stakes were too high, it still offered some good thrills. (★★★½)
  • Lady Bird: Wow. Talk about a phenomenal experience. It’s easily one of the best films I’ve watched so far this year. I’m sad I didn’t watch it when it came out, but I’m so happy I got to it now. Every single person was amazing in this. Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts. I have a special place in my heart for Lois Smith’s Sister Sarah Jones character. Greta Gerwig is simply astounding. (★★★★½)
  • My Cousin Vinny: This was such a fun movie! Why in the world was this the first I’ve ever seen it? I’m adding this to my list of films that I’m definitely going to watch again sometime in the future. Also, Marisa Tomei absolutely earned her Oscar for this one. She was phenomenal. (★★★★)
  • L.A. Story: Having lived in Southern California my entire life, I can say, with absolute certainty, that everything in this film was 100% true and accurate. I also had a lot of fun watching this one all the way through for the first time. It was way more slapstick-ey than I thought it would be, but it was still a nice story about finding love in an unusual way. (★★★★)
  • Yes, God, Yes: You’ll breeze through this one, that’s for sure. It clocks in at a brisk 77 minutes, including credits, so it’ll be over before you know it. I don’t think it’s a bad film. I do feel like they clearly stretched the original short film to its breaking point, and yet it’s still too slow. Natalia Dyer, from Stranger Things fame, was as wonderful as ever. (★★★)
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home: Definitely not nearly as good as the first of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, but a fun time nonetheless. I appreciate that we’re finally getting a Peter Parker that feels a bit truer to his comic book persona. They’re having fun with these films, at least, and that’s always fun to experience. (★★★★)
  • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Very much a tragedy of Greek and Shakespearean proportions. It’s not just a western and not just a story about trying to find your weight in gold. What’s shown here is a near-total descent into madness, and how it affects everything around you. Talk about an impressive movie in every regard. (★★★★★)
  • A Fish Called Wanda: I had a decent time watching this film, but it didn’t seem to have the magic touch with me that it does with so many others. Perhaps it was the constant cruelty done to Michael Palin’s character. Maybe it was Kevin Kline’s boorish, unpleasantly over the top acting. It wasn’t bad. It was okay. (★★★½)
  • Cherry: This was undeniably well-acted and directed. Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo were so committed and they elevate this movie. Unfortunately, the story is about a man who destroys all that he touches. His wife is nearly ruined a couple times. He nearly forces his friends into his crimes. The bank tellers he robs? Surely they’re going to experience some PTSD after being held up at gunpoint, but his own troubles are the only thing that matters. (★★★)
  • Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Damn, I was impressed with this film. It’s undeniable that it still has its issues, but they paled in comparison to the impressive storytelling that was on display. The original cut of this film suffered because of its reliance on spectacle. It lacked character development, motivations, and heart. With its expansive running time, Zack Snyder’s version was able to turn a very shaky story into something that I would love to see again as soon as possible. I want to witness more auteurism in superhero films. More of this please, DC! (★★★★)
  • Deadpool: I love a fresh take on the superhero genre, and this one provided that for me in spades. While it may have relied on the tried and true origin story we’re all familiar with, the character of Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds’s performance elevated the film to a wonderful height. This is not the first time I’ve seen this film, but it still feels fun and fresh. (★★★★½)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: What else can be said about this film, aside from its a classic. A classic for a dang good reason. Newman and Redford together on-screen is always a dynamic combination. I wish they’d done more together. I’d forgotten just how tense a good portion of this film is. The two of them being chased for as long as they were kept me worried for them. (★★★★½)
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire: There are few more beautiful looking movies that came out in 2019. Heck, this one may still be the most sumptuous looking of the whole bunch. That alone would be a fine achievement, but the visuals are accompanied by a lovely and heartbreaking story of hidden love. This film won some major awards at the Cannes Film Festival, among many others, and it deserves every single one of them. This is a staggering work. (★★★★½)
  • Unicorn Store: What a delight, and a strong showing from Brie Larson as a director. There are some issues with the story. Bits of the plot don’t get fleshed out nearly enough, and that’s a shame. I’d like to have learned more about the actual Unicorn Store. Still, it’s a breezy film that has a lot of genuine heart. It’s a nice way to spend some time. (★★★½)
  • WandaVision: This was more of a limited series, but it’s on Letterboxd so why not? The inventiveness of this story made up for its less unique final episodes. I think it was a great way to stretch this particular genre. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany give excellent, heartbreaking performances. (★★★★)
  • Godzilla (2014): This is a far better Godzilla movie than everybody gave it credit for when it came out. It’s not the best Godzilla movie, but it’s still entertaining. It might be the best looking Godzilla film out there, save for it being an extremely dim film. Heck, cranking up the exposure of the whole film even a little bit would have probably brought my ranking up to four stars. (★★★½)
  • Superman/Batman: Apocalypse: The story was mostly nonsensical, not to mention kind of boring. This felt like a slog to get through. The whole pretty Superman character design was strange, too. This one earns its meh. (★★½)
  • Deadpool 2: This sequel continues to bring the heart and humor that the first film was chock full of, and I’m grateful it didn’t suck. It feels like one of those rare follow-ups that introduces new elements to the story, but doesn’t go overboard with it. We get Cable, we get X-Force, and we get Julian Dennison, but we still have all of the stuff that made the first film such a fun revelation. (★★★★)
  • The Wild Bunch: I can see why this film has achieved the status it has in film history. There’s a lot happening here that’s revolutionary and compelling. However, I found the whole thing a little overlong and plodding in some places. I love its energy when it has some, but there are long stretches that don’t add much to the story or characters. I think it’s a good film, but I don’t know that it’s a great one. Maybe I just need to watch it again. (★★★★)
  • A Million Ways to Die in the West: This was a silly film all the way through, and it should never be taken for anything serious. Lower your expectations for this and you’re sure to have a fun time. It relied too much on its self-referential humor for my tastes, but it was decent overall. (★★★)

Total movies watched: 24

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